Esmerelda Cullen
by angel.watson
Summary: Alice and Jasper find a baby alone in the woods. Taking her in, they are suddenly faced with all the problems of being parents. Bella and Edward made it look easy! Takes place 50 years after the end of BD. Sequel: Chasing the Moon
1. Chapter 1

***All characters except Esmerelda are the intellectual property of Stephanie Myer. Esmerelda is the intellectual property of me.***

I awoke with a start and realized that my mother was screaming. I stretched my hands out and gently placed them against her hoping to comfort her. Instead, her screams grew louder. She was hysterical. I felt her moving, perhaps running from something. I couldn't understand what was going on! I was thrown against mom's spine, causing it to snap and her to collapse. I flailed my arms, trying to steady my body. I couldn't hurt my mother! I felt pressure above me and my mother's screams grew louder. Suddenly something was grabbing me and tugging me from the safety of my mother's stomach. I gasped and something cold rushed down my throat, filling my lungs. I coughed at the shock of the cold air and began to cry as I was roughly turned over.

"A girl" A man's voice range out with disgust. I opened my eyes as he threw me to the ground with all of his strength. I closed my eyes as my body impacted with the ground. I began to cry as pain exploded across my back. Through my tear filled eyes I saw that it was dark and I was alone. Momma's body was even gone. I continued to cry, both for my mom and because I was cold.

I had no idea how much time had passed, but at one point I had fallen asleep. I began to awake and realized that something bright was shining on me. I was now warm but uncomfortable due to being stuck in a small hole in the ground. Instead of opening my eyes I stayed still, hoping and praying that I would die quickly.

A branch breaking on the other side of this small clearing awoke me from a fitful nap. I didn't move, only listened. I heard a gasp and felt two cool hands lift me into two small arms. I opened my eyes and saw a small woman with bright golden eyes looking down at me. Her face as stunning and framed by short brown hair. She looked like something out of a fairy tale. With her was a male, who reminded me of the man who killed my mother and left me here. He also had golden eyes, long blond and was standing behind her watching me carefully. I began to cry as the wind began to blow. Without hesitation, the man quickly removed his t-shirt and handed it to the woman who was holding me. She quickly wrapped it around me, drawing me tightly against her.

"You're safe now little one. It's going to be alright." Her voice was calming and I snuggled into her, falling asleep in safety for the first time since I had been born.

I was unsure as to how much time had passed, but I was no longer wrapped in an oversized shirt. I opened my eyes and glanced around myself. I was laying on something very soft and was surrounded by large white objects. I could hear someone talking, well whispering, and most likely hoping that I wouldn't wake. I continued to look around, waiting for that beautiful lady to come back. I took a deep breath and my tummy rumbled. I was starving! I opened my mouth to cry, and there she was.

"Hello little one." She had a huge smile on her face as she moved the blanket from me and scooped me into her arms. I found that I could balance myself with ease and quickly pushed away from her chest to look at her face. I smiled at her in hopes she would keep talking to me. Instead, she reached out and brought an object towards me. She slid it into my mouth and squeezed. The moment the warm red liquid hit my tongue, my throat began to burn. I wrapped my hands around the bottle and began to suck as fast as I could. The lady holding me laughed at my eagerness and rubbed my back up and down as I drank. All too soon it was gone. Frustrated and still hungry, I threw the bottle and began to cry.

"Shhhh its okay, there's plenty more where that came from." She set me back down on the bed, preparing another bottle at lightning speed. She placed it in a bottle heater and smiled, grabbing the first to clean it so it would be ready for later. She disappeared behind a wall and I heard splashing. Sighing, I reached for the objects at the end of my body and began trying to figure out how everything worked.

A click sounded through the room and the door swung open. The man was back! I quickly turned my attention to the door and smiled as he closed it behind him.

"Hello ma'am." He nodded his head in my direction, a smile across his face. The way he spoke sounded different than the lady but I liked it. I reached my arms up, hoping he would hold me. He scooped me up, swinging me around and around. A giggle erupted from my mouth as the room shifted to moving colors. This must be joy! I shrieked and giggled until I felt warm from head to toe.

Suddenly he stopped and handed me to the lady. She leaned towards him and their lips touched. Their eyes were shinning with happiness. She grabbed the second bottle and brought it to me. I grabbed it and began to drink, much slower than the first time.

"I called Carlisle, he has agreed to come meet us. Based on the description I gave him, he thinks her leg broke and healed the wrong way. He wants to fix it as soon as possible." The man sat down on the bed and watched us with intent eyes.

"Of course. Poor little one. If I hadn't of smelled her she would still be out there all alone. Jasper, do you think we should name her?" The man's name was Jasper! His name is just as unique as he is. But whatever did he mean about my leg? I took the bottle and pushed it back into her hand, wiggling to see my leg. I realized that is was wrapped in something that was causing me to be unable to move it. Confusion rang through my mind.

"She's confused Alice." He was at her side in an instant, reaching out to take me. I eagerly went into his arms, inhaling his familiar scent. He looked into my eyes and smiled.

"What don't we call her Emerald? After all her eyes are the most beautiful green I have ever had the honor to lay eye on." He smiled as he watched my reaction. I smiled at the name and was flattered by his words. He really seemed to like me; perhaps he wanted to be my daddy!

"Alice, did you say something?" His eyes flashed to black as he quickly handed me to the lady, Alice and went to the door.

"No, Jasper why?" There was a slight frightened tone to Alice's voice and she held me closer to her. I squirmed and looked at her.

 _Please let me go!_

"Jasper!" Alice gasped and looked down at me than back up at Jasper. "It's her!"

Jasper looked at me with awe as I smiled at him.

 _Can I call you daddy?_

"Alice this is amazing! She can put thoughts into our minds! It seems to be the opposite of Edwards's ability! We must call Eleazer as soon as Carlisle gets here."

His face was alight with ideas and emotion. I was beginning to get frustrated as I did not care that I was doing something different I just wanted an answer! He began to pace the room and he was talking so quickly I couldn't follow him. I glanced at the lady holding me and then opened my mouth and let out a loud screech. They both froze and glanced at me. I smiled and looked at Jasper.

 _Are you my daddy?_

A smile broke out across his face and he took me into his arms. His gently kissed me forehead and then took a slow breath in.

"Of course I'll be your father. The moment Alice, your mother found you, you became my little girl. My little Esmerelda".


	2. Chapter 2

***All characters except Esmerelda are the intellectual property of Stephanie Myer. Esmerelda is the intellectual property of me.***

It was dark out as my daddy gently slipped me out of the car seat. The sky was littered with stars and they twinkled as if winking at me. A grin spread across my face and I stretched my arms towards the stars. I heard Daddy laugh slightly as he watched me.

 _The world is so beautiful Daddy! What are they?_

"They are called stars my little angel. They are like our sun but are very far away so they appear small. I am glad you like them" He smiled at me as he began to walk towards a very large building. They had told me that my Grandfather was coming to help me. Apparently there was something wrong with my leg.

People were rushing around the building talking on weird objects and pushing each other out of the way to get wherever they need to go. The brightness of the area was making my head hurt so I turned and buried my face into Daddy's chest. He smelled like gunpowder and saddle oil. His scent was comforting and even though I barely knew him, I loved my Daddy more than anything.

I began to doze off just as I heard Momma squeal and begin jumping up and down. I quickly lifted my head and glanced in the direction of Momma. I saw a golden haired male with a beautiful brown haired lady walking quickly beside him. She sped up and wrapped Momma in a hug. The man stopped and hugged her as well.

 _Who's that? They are just as beautiful as you and Momma._

I didn't wake my eyes of the new couple but spoke to Daddy. He smiled and walked over to them.

"Carlisle, I would like you to meet out daughter, Esmerelda." Daddy handed me to the man and I felt my heart begin to race. He gently took me into his arms and gave me a big hug.

"Hello little one. Welcome to our family. I am Carlisle, your grandfather for all purposes, and that" he turned towards the lady, "is Esme, your grandmother." I smiled up at him and reached for my Grammy. A stunning smile spread across her face as she took me into her welcoming arms. She gently began rubbing circles on my back as we all began walking towards the car.

Esme began humming a song and I felt my lids growing heavy. I settled against her shoulder and quickly drifted off to sleep.

I awoke in Grammys arms a while later. We were all in the hotel room. As I pushed myself into a sitting position I saw that everyone was sitting or standing as still as statues.

Grandpa quickly walked over to me. With a rather sad expression, he took me into his arms and turned me so I was looking at me.

"Esmerelda, I need you to understand something. When you were born, something happened and one of your legs was broken. It got turned around and then it healed. I am going to have to re-break and turn it back around. Do you understand?"

 _It hurt when it happened, so I assume it is going to hurt but I trust you. Can daddy hold me?_

Carlisle smiled at me and handed me to Daddy. I grabbed his free arm with both of my hands and held on as tight as I could. Grandpa clutched my leg and suddenly I felt it snap. He turned it as fast as possible then began wrapping it with gauze. I gasped as my little fingers dug into Daddy's arm. I did my best to not make a sound. As soon as it was done, Momma had me against her, hugging me with all her might.

 _Momma I am fine! Grandpa went so fast I hardly felt a thing._

"Are you sure sweetie?" Her concern was etched all over her face.

 _I am sure Momma._

I nodded as I allowed a smile to break across my face. I began trying to reach Momma's short hair when I heard a small hiss escape from Dad. I tried to look behind me, but Momma held my head against her body. I could feel every muscle was tense and she slowly began to back up.

Next thing I knew I heard glass shatter and Grandpa yelling for us to run. I wrapped my arms around Momma's neck and held onto her as best I could. The wind was cold and as I was just wearing an onesie I was very cold. I began to shiver but decided to say nothing. If Grandpa had felt that there was danger and that we needed to leave, I trusted his instinct.

I heard a strange sound behind me as Momma suddenly stopped running. I slowly lifted my head and turned to look.

 _What is that huge dark thing Momma?_

"It's the Ocean sweetie and I am afraid we are going to have to swim. Daddy is going to take you and you have to hold onto him and not let go. Understand?" She handed me to Dad and jumped into the waiting waters below.

I took a deep breath and the water was over my head. I held onto Daddy's neck as he swam, quickly passing Momma and Grammy. I found that I did not need to breath and held onto Dad as the amazing world of the ocean flashed by.

Suddenly Dad surfaced and clutched me against him as he walked out of the water. My family quickly followed and Momma swiped me from Dad's arms. She held me against her and began to sob. Tears did not fall yet I knew her heart was filled with anguish.

 _Momma what's wrong?_

She gently began stroking my hair as she took a deep breath.

"There are enemies of our kind in the world and not all of them understand that we mean them no harm. I am afraid that they caught our scent while we were at the airport picking up Carlisle and Esme. They tracked us to the hotel and were most likely going to kill us. So we ran". I felt her fear, for me, run through her body.

 _Grandpa, what are they?_

He smiled as he sat down next to us.

"They are shape shifters little one. Different places have different kinds and they came about to hunt our kind, vampires. Most vampires drink human blood. We are different as we drink animal blood because we fell that human life is valuable. The shape shifters hunt vampires for hurting humans. There is a tribe here that we were unaware of and they came after us." He grimaced as he finished speaking and turned to Esme. She sat in his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

 _It's because of me isn't it? I drew them to us because I am human aren't I?_

"No little one, you are half human half vampire. It is not your fault sweetie, rest now little one, and do not blame yourself. Nothing is your fault."

I snuggled into Momma's arms as everyone stood and began walking into the woods. Dad wrapped an arm around both of us and began to sing gently as I drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

***All characters except Esmerelda are the intellectual property of Stephanie Myer. Esmerelda is the intellectual property of me.***

When I awoke, the sun was shining gently through the trees. I could hear animals all around us as they went about their daily lives. I was now in Grandpa's arms. Glancing around, I saw that Mom and Dad were nowhere to be seen.

 _MOM! DAD!_

I became frantic as I realized I also couldn't hear them. I began fighting against Grandpa as I tried to find them. They must have decided that I was too much work and had left. I was devastated! I needed to find them and beg them to stay.

Suddenly my bare feet touched the soft ground. I gasped as I felt the moss tickling my toes. It felt amazing. I slowly bent down and ran my hands through the branches of the bush next to me. I sat down, in complete awe of the beauty that was around me. Then it hit me. I was strong enough to stand by myself!

I quickly stood and tried to walk. It came with complete ease. A giggle escaped as I was filled with joy and excitement. I began to walk towards a ray of sun that was sneaking down through the trees.

A small white moth fluttered in front of my face and tickled my nose. I sneezed and began laughing. I was so distracted I never noticed that Daddy was standing right in front of me now.

"Daddy!" I screamed in delight as I ran to his waiting arms. I threw myself into his embrace and squeezed his neck as tightly as I could.

"Esmerelda how could you think I would ever leave you?" He held me against him as he sat down. Turning me to face him, I saw that his eyes were a stunning golden color.

"Your eyes Daddy." He laughed as he ran his fingers through my hair.

"Momma and I had to go feed little one. I want to be at my best in case anyone tries to do anything." He smiled as Momma came into the clearing. Her face was etched with worry and he was at her side in an instant. I was sitting where Daddy had been only a moment ago.

They quickly exchanged a conversation and kept it quite enough that I couldn't hear. Grandpa joined in and it seems that they came to an agreement. Momma quickly scooped me up and settled me on her hip.

"Esmerelda, the shape shifters have found us. We can't keep running because you need rest and to eat. So we are going to wait here and hope that Grandpa can talk to them. We will not let anything happen to you. I promise." She kissed the top of my head and slipped a small object onto my wrist. I quickly grabbed it with my other hand. It was a bracelet, but a small beautiful ring sat on it.

"What is it Momma?" I glanced up at her and saw a huge smile was on her face.

"It was a gift from your Daddy. My first wedding ring. I want you to have it, just in case this doesn't go as planned." She looked up into Daddy's face as he wrapped an arm around both of his ladies.

Everyone grew still as statues as the woods around us seemed to sense the danger. Every animal that had been making a noise was now silent. I was oddly not afraid as I knew that my family would keep me safe.

I heard a branch snap directly in front of us and I gasped as a huge animal walked into view. Grandpa stepped forward to say something but the animal let out a roar and charged. I screamed as fear and anger began to creep into my body. I wanted the animal to stop. It had to stop!

 _Stop! Leave my family alone!_

As if it was suddenly no longer in control, the animal dropped to the ground. Grandpa stood, unharmed just in front of the now still animal.

"Grandpa!" I leapt out of Momma's arms and ran to him. He quickly drew me against him, letting me know that he was unharmed. "What is it?"

"It's a bear little one. The shape shifters that we know are wolves very large but they understand us. Let's hope there are no more." Turning to the family he nodded and picked me up.

It seemed as if no time had passed, but everyone suddenly slowed down as a house came into view. It was located in a small clearing and was stunning. It was made up of a lot of windows. I also noticed another vampire, standing in an upper window looking down at us. She was blond and absolutely stunning. I heard her gasp and then she jumped. Landing at the base she ran to Momma and threw her arms around her. They laughed and clung to each other as if it had been forever since they had seen each other.

I was hiding behind Daddy and was afraid of this new woman. Would she steal Momma from me? Grandpa and Grammy embraced her as well and I heard them ask about an Emmet. Daddy went to take a step but I grabbed his leg and refused to let go. He looked at me and realized that I was afraid.

"Rose can you come here?" He motioned for the lady to come towards us. She started out walking at a fast pace but slowed down when Dad motioned for her to. I heard another soft gasp escape her mouth.

"Jasper, who's that?" Her voice matched her outer beauty yet there seemed to be a coldness to her that I didn't like.

"Alice found her Rose. All alone and in very bad shape. We decided to adopt her. Her name is Esmerelda." Daddy scooped me into his arms and smiled at me.

"Hi Esmerelda. I'm your Aunt Rose. May I hold you?" She held out her arms and I went to her. She was kind and gentle, but there was something that was bothering her. Deep down there seemed to be a hole.

"Hi Auntie Rose. I like your hair" I reached up and ran my finger through her silky blond hair. She laughed as she ran her fingers through my long black hair.

"I like yours as well. I bet you are hungry. How about I make you something. Sound good?" I nodded and she set me down. Taking my hand she nodded at the rest of the family and they vanished.

"Where are they going?" I craned my neck in hopes of seeing them.

"Hunting. They are all very hungry and you are to. I can hear that little tummy growling." She opened the door and guided me into a large kitchen. Lifting me into a chair she quickly began preparing food.

It was amazing watching her work. Her fingers were swift and nimble. She kept a constant stream of chatter going, mainly telling me about the family. I heard the front door open and two people enter. They must have been able to hear Auntie Rose in the kitchen and were headed our way.

The footsteps stopped suddenly and I heard a low growl. Turning I say a young man and woman. The male was tall and dark skinned while the female seemed to be like me.

"Aunt Rose what is going on!"


	4. Chapter 4

***All characters except Esmerelda are the intellectual property of Stephanie Myer. Esmerelda is the intellectual property of me.***

I hopped down off the chair and hid behind Aunt Rose's legs. She smiled at me and then turned back to the two new people.

"Hello Nessie, Jack. This is Esmerelda. You're Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper found her abandoned up in Canada and they decided to adopt her. Now please, be nice to her." She side stepped out of the way exposing me but she stayed close enough that I felt comfortable.

The young women knelt down and held her hand out. I grasped it and shook it.

"Hi Esmerelda. I'm Renesme and this is my husband Jacob. I'm the daughter of your Aunt Bella and Uncle Edward. It's very nice to meet you." Jacob had knelt down next to her and reached out to me. I went to shake his hand when his scent washed over me. He smelled like that bear! I screamed and quickly backed up.

 _Get away!_

Everyone in the room gasped as Jacob suddenly stood and slammed into the wall on the other side of the room. Nessie quickly went to her husband to make sure that he was okay.

"Jacob what happened!" Nessie was looking him over from top to bottom.

"I have no idea Nessie. I heard her," he pointed to me "in my head telling me to get away and I had to listen. It, it hurt not to." Nessie turned to stare at me and I could feel Aunt Rose staring at me as well.

"I, I'm sorry." Tears began to run down my face and I took off. I ran out the front door and kept running. I didn't mean to hurt Jacob, I just didn't like his smell. He reminded me too much of that bear. I must be evil if I was able to hurt people. No wonder that man wanted me to die!

I found a tree that had a hole in the bottom and I climbed into it. My sobs grew harder and I shook with the force of them. After I time I stopped crying and fell asleep as I was exhausted from crying.

I awoke with a start and heard my name being yelled in the distance. In fact, there were more than one voice calling for me. I slid further back in the tree and tried to make sure that I couldn't be seen. Dad's voice was getting closer and all of a sudden I heard him stop.

"Esmerelda sweetie. Please come out. We don't hate you and we aren't mad. I love you little one. Please." I heard his voice crack and I shot out of my hiding place. I ran to him and wrapped my small arms around his legs.

"I'm so sorry Daddy." The tears began to flow again and he scooped me into his arms.

"You did nothing wrong little one. Nothing. It's okay." He began to gently rock me and whipped away my tears. I shuddered and settled against him. I heard someone yell that he had found me. I didn't recognize the voice.

"Daddy who's that?" I tried to sit up but he just held me, refusing to let me budge.

"Uncle Edward. We called them to come help us when we couldn't find you. You were missing for three days." I felt him shudder as he started walking towards the house.

"Three days? I just left Daddy, how has it been three days?!" I looked at him and saw his pain etched across his face. "I'm sorry Dad. I won't leave again. I promise." I pulled myself up to his neck and kissed his cheek. I wrapped my arms around his neck and rested my head on his shoulder. He kissed the top of my head and then started running.

The moment we were back at the house Momma ripped my from Dad and held me against her. She was sobbing with joy that I was alright. The entire family was gathered around and everyone gave me a big hug. A group of people who I had not met yet stayed back. Momma took me hand and brought me over to them.

"Esmerelda, this is your Aunt Bella and Uncle Edward, Nessie's parents." I smiled at them and shook their hands. "These are our cousins from Denali. They came to visit after Eleazer heard about what had happened with Jacob. This is Cameron and Tanya." I shook everyone's hands but was slightly unnerved by the stare that Eleazer was giving me.

"Excuse me Mr. Eleazer. Would you mind stopping staring?" I looked up at him and blushed when he began to laugh.

"Call me Eleazer little one. I was staring because I have never seen a gift like yours before. It is so unique." His voice was filled with awe and I noticed that everyone had stopped talking to listen to him.

"What is her gift Eleazer?" Daddy stepped forward and stood next to me.

"I believe she is able to control minds. Not like Zafrina but rather she has complete mind control. I think that Jacob had to do what she said because she was controlling him even though she didn't know it. This is absolutely amazing!" I saw fear flash across Tanya's face and I stepped closer to Daddy.

"The Volturi is going to want her. She has the most powerful gift I have seen. Eleazer, is there a way to hide this gift?" Carlisle spoke a concern that I had not expected.

I reached up and tugged on Daddy's arm. He glanced down at me.

"I'm hungry Daddy."

"Of course you are!" Aunt Rose rushed over and scooped me up. She ran into the kitchen and set a plate of different fruit and veggies in front of me. They all smelled amazing and I couldn't decide which one I like best. As I was eating the rest of the family migrated into the house. Mom and Dad came into the kitchen to watch over me. Uncle Emmet also joined us.

As I began to yawn Momma scooped my up and carried me down the hall to a bedroom. Dad turned down the bed sheets and settled in next to me after Momma laid me down. Dad began to read a story to me and I fell asleep to the gentle sounds of my father's Texan accent.


	5. Chapter 5

***All characters except Esmerelda are the intellectual property of Stephanie Myer. Esmerelda is the intellectual property of me.***

When I awoke the next morning, I was alone in a very large room. Stretching, I sat up and looked around me. I was lying in the middle of a very large bed. The walls were bare except for a couple of pieces of art that had been done by someone in the family. There was a closet on the far side and two walls were all windows. I figured that this must be Grandma and Grandpa's room. I crawled to the edge of the bed and shimmied to the floor. The bed was a long way up! I glanced at a chair that sat next to the door and spotted some clothes. I walked over and found that they were in my size. Momma must have set them out. I quickly pulled on the small sweater and pants. The shoes were an ugly fake heal so I decided to leave them off. I preferred my bare feet anyways.

I slowly opened the door and snuck to the top of the stairs. I figured no one knew that I was awake as they had not come to help me get ready. I could hear people talking in the living room so I snuck to the edge of the stairs to listen.

"Carlisle I beg of you to consider the consequences. Imagine if she throws a temper tantrum!" Eleazer was pacing the room and his voice was filled with worry.

"If she does we will work through it. She is a part of this family now. Jasper and Alice are her parents and we will not turn our backs on them or her." Grandpa was speaking quietly, perhaps hoping to not wake me.

"I understand that. But you have to realize that if she chooses, she could force any of you to kill or to harm one another. From what Jacob has described to me, you would not be able to resist. She is a danger Carlisle. End her life before she causes irreparable damage." Eleazer seemed to be pleading now.

"No! She is my daughter. I do not care what her gift is. She is not evil. She can't be. Look into her eyes Eleazer! Her innocence radiates through her." Daddy was very upset by the fact that Eleazer wanted to hurt me. "If you feel she is a threat, leave, because I promise you, if you lay a finger on my daughter I will kill you." He began to hiss and I could picture him crouching, challenging Eleazer to threaten me.

"Jasper calm. Eleazer if you believe her to be such a danger help us teach her how to control her ability. Don't allow her to become what you fear." Grandpa came into view as he stepped between Jasper and Eleazer. I slid back to make sure that no one could see me. I found it odd that everyone else was staying silent. I took a deep breath searching for the vanilla smell that meant Momma was nearby. Her scent was mild so I figured that she was probably out hunting. The women all seemed to be gone actually. It was odd. I quickly shook my head and focused back on the conversation below.

"I know nothing of her skill. Edward would be better suited to teaching her."

"I would love to help her as much as I can Carlisle. The only issue is that Jasper and Alice live in Canada now."

"If it's alright with Carlisle, we were wondering if we could move back here. Be a family again?"

I gasped at this and heard all the men freeze. Dad shot out of the room and saw me sitting at the top of the stairs. Uncle Edward was right behind him.

"Morning!" I smiled at them and bounced down the stairs on my bum only to be scooped into a hug by Daddy.

"How long have you been awake Esmerelda?" Uncle Edward looked at me intensely.

 _Does it matter? Leave it Uncle Edward._

Edward groaned as he tried to say more. I could see him fighting me.

"I. Will. Not. Leave. It." He gasped as the pain lifted. "I need to know what you heard"

Dad looked at me and realized that I had no way of turning it on and off.

"I heard it all. But it's okay! I won't use my gift ever again as long as I can still be a part of this family." I slid out of Dad's arms and walked over to Grandpa. "Can I stay?" I looked up at him and waited.

"Of course little one!" He reached down and set me on his hip. "Now, I bet you are quiet hungry. Your mother talked all the women into going shopping for your so I am afraid you are stuck with us men." I gigged as he walked towards the kitchen. I gasped in a breath and froze. There was a sweet aroma floating down the stairs. I began struggling against Grandpa and began getting angry when he wouldn't let me down.

"Edward! My office, she, can, smell the blood," He struggled against me as I fought to get him off. My anger began to grow and I hissed at Grandpa.

 _LET ME GO!_

He dropped me to the floor and I ran as fast as I could. Edward dove for me but I was able to slide under his body. Daddy tried to grab me as I ran by but I ran around him instead of in front of him. Emmet and Eleazer had left the house to do something and now my path was open. I leapt the stairs in a single bound and raced towards the smell. The closer I got the more amazing the scent. I began to drool with want.

Suddenly Uncle Emmet was in front of me. He scoped me into his arms, holding me around the waist, trapping my arms. I tried my best to fight against him, but he was too strong. Daddy was suddenly in front of me talking, but I couldn't hear him. All I knew was that I wanted whatever the smell was that was coming from the room. Daddy grabbed my face and forced me to focus on him as Grandpa ran by with a bowl and something else.

A strong burning scent filled the air and then I heard the crackling of fire. I began to calm down as the scent disappeared. I noticed that my breathing was ragged and could suddenly hear everything that was going on around me.

"Esmerelda, hunny please. Take deep breaths." Daddy was gently stroking my hair as Uncle Emmet held me against him. I gasped in a breath or two then began to breathe in and out slowly.

Uncle Edward was outside trying to find something. I could hear him chasing something but I had no idea what it was. Once I stopped fighting, Uncle Emmet let me go and Daddy led me outside.

"See that fox Esmerelda? I want you to hunt it. What you felt inside? Let it out, go after that fox. Feed". I glanced back, hesitant to go forward. Daddy nodded and crouched down, showing me how to start. I took a deep breath, drawing the fox's scent towards me. I focused on it and heard it's heart thumping the blood through its body. My mouth began to water and I pounced. I grabbed the fox by the neck and sank my teeth into its flesh. The blood ran over my tongue. It felt wrong but Daddy said it was okay so I drank it dry. As soon as I felt the life leave its body I let go and sat down. Tears began to flow down my face.

"What's wrong little one?" Grandpa was at my side in an instant. He whipped his shirt off and began wiping the tears and blood away. I looked up at him and shuddered.

"I'm a monster"


	6. Chapter 6

***All characters except Esmerelda are the intellectual property of Stephanie Myer. Esmerelda is the intellectual property of me.***

"You are not a monster!" Grandpa pulled me into his lap and finished cleaning me off. I began to hiccup as my tears ran faster. "You are not a monster. You are a perfect little girl who has made her family very proud to have her. We are lucky that you are here Esmerelda. Lucky." He held me against him as he stood and turned around.

"Esmerelda love, this family is far from perfect. We have all made mistakes yet they do not define us as monsters." Grandma took me into her arms and turned me towards the family. "Each one of us has killed humans. We have taken life because of a need that we let out of control. None of us are monsters. Do you know what a monster is?" I shook my head. "A monster is the person who left you all alone in the woods. A monster is someone who hurts for pleasure. You are nothing near a monster." She kissed the top of my head and headed into the house.

Aunt Rose had entered the house ahead of us and had run a bath. She had poured some kind of soap into it and had created a massive amount of bubbles! Grandma quickly pried the yucky clothing off of my body and she set me into the warm water. I gasped as the soft bubbles floated around me. I grabbed a fistful and sat there admiring them. The colors that radiated off of them was amazing. I didn't know that something so small and simple could hold such beauty.

Aunt Rose blew gently and the bubbles floated up into the air. I was in awe at the beauty and fun! I blew into the bubble in front of me and giggled as they shot all over the room. Aunt Rose gasped as she was suddenly covered in bubbles! She reached into the tub and splashed me. I took an arm load of bubbles and blew them onto her. Within minutes, we had the entire room either wet or covered in bubbles.

The door swung open and Grandma re-entered with towels and clean clothing. She took one look at the room and burst into laughter.

"I leave you two girls for two minutes and look what you have done!" She began laughing even harder as she looked at the mess we had made. Her laughter became contagious and within moments we were all in stitches. As the laughter died down, Grandma threw Aunt Rose a look that I knew meant she had to clean up the mess.

Aunt Rose quickly washed my hair and taught me how to clean my body. I loved the feeling of her scrubbing the soap into my hair. She was so gentle yet tough at the same time. She rinsed me off and lifted me out of the tub. She handed me a towel and I quickly dried myself off. I tried to grab the clothes off the shelf that Grandma had put them on but they were too high up. Aunt Rose handed them down to me, and went about drying the floor while I got dressed. As soon as I had the last item on, she lifted me onto the stool and braided my hair. I hadn't noticed before but it was down to my bum!

I glanced in the mirror. While a small face, probably the size of a three or four year old, looked back, the eyes were haunting. A bright green they seemed to hold all the problems of s century old person. I quickly looked away.

"Aunt Rose?" I glanced back at her as she was swiftly braiding my hair.

"Yes sweetie?"

"How old am I?" I began to play with my thumbs, nervous to know the answer. What if I was stuck like a child forever?

"Grandpa thinks you are around a month to two months old. Why?" She slipped a tie over the end and turned me around to look at her.

"Am I going to grow up?" My voice felt so small as this question came out.

"Yes sweetie. Faster than you know it" She kissed my forehead "Now off you go. Grandma has something for you downstairs." She turned her attention to cleaning the bathroom and I took off downstairs.

I could hear everyone talking in the kitchen but saw Grandma waiting in the living room. I quickly walked over and climbed up on the couch next to me. She smiled at me and drew me into her lap.

"Now, your mother went a little crazy on clothing for you but I figured you needed something else. So I got you some coloring books and drawing items in case you want to do that." She gestured to the bags that sat at her feet. I threw my arms around her neck in a thank you hug then slid down to the floor.

In the first bag were markers, crayons, colored pencils, charcoal, erasers and pencils. The second held five coloring books that were almost as tall as me! I picked one that had a princess in yellow on the cover and began coloring.

I was working on my third picture when I saw Dad sit down next to me.

"Hey Daddy!" I sat up and immediately began to show off my work.

"Well done! I see Grandma made sure you had something fun to do. I have a question for you." He pulled me into his lap and took a deep breath. I smiled knowing that Daddy loved my scent. "How would you like to learn to read?" He smiled as he asked the question because he already knew the answer.

"Yes! Please" I giggled and then stood up and offered Daddy my hand. We went upstairs into Grandpa's office. Dad had already set up a table for us to work on. I slide into a seat and Daddy sat next to me.

He opened a large flat book and began to teach me the alphabet. Within minutes I could write them off by heart. He next got some simple books and helped me read them. Not even an hour had passed and I was able to read. He handed me a book that he had Momma pick up for me. It was titled _The Secret Garden._ I smiled as I looked at the beautiful cover. Climbing into Grandpa's window seat, I settled in and began to read.

By the time I finished the book it was dark outside. My stomach was rumbling so I headed downstairs to find a snack. Grandma was in the kitchen singing and cooking up a storm. I slid onto a seat and watched her. The joy she had when doing something so simple amazed me. Her face seemed to glow and it was almost as if she was floating on air rather than walking.

"Grandma?" She spun around and set a plate in front of me. With a wink she returned to her cooking. I smiled and dug into the food in front of me. It tasted amazing! I ate the whole plate as slowly as I could handle because I wanted to savor the taste. Suddenly a loud crash echoed through the house.

I ran to see what was wrong and found Daddy holding Momma. She was sitting on the floor, obviously shaken. I ran to her and climbed into her lap. She hugged me to her then looked at the family.

"I know who her father is"


	7. Chapter 7

***All characters except Esmerelda are the intellectual property of Stephanie Myer. Esmerelda is the intellectual property of me.***

Everyone has grown very serious. Dad head led Momma and me to the living room while Grandpa had gathered the rest of the family. I had no idea how Momma suddenly knew who my father was, but I wasn't about to ask.

After what felt like forever, Momma finally stood up.

"I am afraid that Jasper and I have put all of you in danger. If we leave now, there is a chance that you won't be connected to us, in this case." Momma was looking out the window and seemed afraid to face us. I suddenly began to feel calm and at peace, and noticed that the rest of the room appeared to feel that way to. Glancing around I saw Daddy staring intently at Momma's back. Was he doing this?

Grandma got up and wrapper her arms around Momma.

"We are a family Alice. You're not going anywhere. We will all face this together." Everyone murmured in agreement.

"Esme, we aren't going to live through this" The fear in her voice shook me down to my very bones. I stood up and walked over to her.

"Then I'll leave Momma. I won't let my family get hurt because of me." I smiled at her and wanted her to know that I was serious.

"Esmerelda, you will not leave us. I love you and we will face this together." Daddy seemed to be scolding me as he scooped me into his arms.

"I am afraid that if I say something, it will change his course or future. Our smells will be all over the area where she was born. We tried to find the mother but it seems that she was disposed of." Momma began rubbing her arms as if she was nervous. I looked at Daddy but he was busy concentrating on Momma. "Her father is Aro".

The entire room went silent. It seemed as if the mere mention of this man's name stole the very breath out of their bodies. I saw Grandpa look at Uncle Edward and him nod in response. He left the room in a hurry. Grandma pulled Momma closer and Grandpa face was blank, giving away nothing.

"Who's Aro?" I felt stupid for needing to ask, but everyone seemed to know and fear him.

"He, and his two brothers, led the Volturi. They are the closest that we can get to royalty in the vampire world. Fifty years ago, after the birth of your cousin Nessie, the Volturi came after us because they thought we had made an immortal child. Unlike immortal children, you and Nessie grow and can understand. While we broke no law they still wanted to kill us. We were able to settle with no lives lost but it seems that Aro has not forgotten." Grandpa spoke in a monotone voice and didn't move a muscle. "Alice, is it going to come to a battle?"

"I have only seen him decide to find the baby of the women from Canada. He had sent Demetri to get her but he felt that yet another girl was useless so he left her there to die. Aro was not at all pleased and has decided to go with Jane and Alec to collect the child himself. From what I saw, he already has four daughters, part of an army that he is trying to build." Momma shuddered at the thought and finally turned around. "I will let you know what he decides as soon as he realizes that the baby is with us".

Grandpa nodded then left the room and went up to his office. Daddy handed me to Aunt Rose and went to comfort Momma. Aunt Rose and Uncle Emmet took me into the bedroom and began getting me ready for bed. Aunt Rose pulled out a beautiful purple teddy and a light purple super soft blanket. She said that both were from Nessie and Jacob and they hoped I liked them. I snuggled into the covers cuddling my first ever teddy. Uncle Emmet read me a short story then tucked me into bed. They each kissed me goodnight then left the room.

I waited until I was sure that everyone was now in the living room. I slid off the bed and crawled to the top of the stairs. Luckily Uncle Emmet had turned off all the lights up here so I was hidden a little better. I settled onto my belly and hugged my teddy to my side.

"Do you think they will come?" Momma sounded tired, as if she was drained of all energy.

"I do. They came when Edward and I needed them. I believe that they will stand against the Volturi now, even if it means death for some of them." Aunt Bella sounded just as sad as Momma.

"Carlisle, I think we should begin informing them now. Before Aro makes the decision. If we are prepared there is a stronger chance that we will win." Daddy was most definitely taking control of the situation. "Edward I need you to begin training Esmerelda now. She may be the only chance we have to survive this." I saw Uncle Edward nod towards Dad as he began giving orders.

I knew that there was a chance that we would live but I honestly wasn't sure if I should stay here. I quickly wandered into Grandpa's study and pulled myself into his desk chair. I had seen him working on this laptop while Daddy had taught me to read. I quickly opened it and began to look through it. I found photos and articles that I knew nothing about. I closed it as it wasn't getting me anywhere. I noticed a painting on the wall between the book shelves. Sliding off the chair I went to admire it. I noticed that it was off three men. They were dressed like royalty so they must be the Volturi. I wonder which one is Aro? I look closer and spot Grandpa standing by a pillar above them. He must have spent time with them!

I also wondered if Eleazer had as well. I was unsure as to how old most of my family was but I knew that not all of them were very old. Like Aunt Bella, she was around fifty-five years old since she was turned.

I grabbed teddy off the desk and hurried down the hall to the bedroom. I could now easily climb into it by myself and I settled into the middle. I fell asleep and spent all night tossing and turning as I was haunted by nightmares of my family being killed.

I awoke early the next morning. The sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon when I walked downstairs. I had teddy under one arm and my blanket under the other. I was exhausted but couldn't handle another dream. I noticed that Eleazer, Carmen, and Tanya were back from hunting. They had been filled in and were helping Grandpa to try to figure everything out. I wandered into the kitchen and Momma saw me. She gasped and quickly guided me out of the room. She scooped me up and ran to the bedroom. She grabbed something clothing and set it on the bed then left.

I glanced in the mirror and realized that I had grown over night! My pajamas were in shreds on my body. I quickly grabbed the clothing that would fit me and got dressed. I had to have grown at least a foot overnight. I was very glad that growing didn't hurt! I returned downstairs and ran smack into Nessie.

"Oh! I'm sorry Esmerelda. I am afraid I didn't see you there!" She quickly backed up and smiled at me. "I was just coming to let you know that Daddy and I want to start your lessons today. Are you up for it?"

"Yes. I will master this and stop Aro. I won't let anyone hurt my family." She smiled again and took my hand leading my outside to where Uncle Edward was waiting. I took a deep breath because no matter how tough I tried to sound, I was terrified that I was going to lose everything that had become dear to me.


	8. Chapter 8

***All characters except Esmerelda are the intellectual property of Stephanie Myer. Esmerelda is the intellectual property of me.***

Uncle Edward had asked a couple of family members to be volunteers for me to practice on. Waiting with him were Uncle Emmet, Jacob and Grandpa. I tugged on Nessie's hand and she stopped, kneeling down in front of me.

"What's wrong little star?" She smiled as she gave me my very first nickname.

"I don't want to hurt them Nessie. What if I can't do this?" My eyes began to tear up and I felt my legs begin to quiver.

"Little star, it's okay! Has Momma ever told you what Daddy went through for her to learn?" I shook my head "Well, Kate has the power of electricity and she kept shocking Dad until Mom was able to project her shield over him. He suffered yet he wanted to help Mom. It's the same here. They are willing to deal with a little pain in order to help you mold and understand your ability. Come on." She stood up and led me over to the waiting family. Uncle Edward smiled as he knelt down to my level.

"I have a question Esmerelda and I need you to think hard before answering. When you speak into someone's mind what is it like?" I sat down and thought hard. I looked around at the people around me and spotted something I hadn't seen before.

"Well Uncle Edward when I look at everyone, I can see their minds. Not into them but rather see a shimmer that is their mind. Everyone's is slightly different so I know who I am sending it to. Does that make sense?" I glanced at him in hopes that he understood what I was saying.

"Yes it does! Can you try to manipulate Uncle Emmet's so that he does something but doesn't feel it?" I nodded and turned to face him. I stared at his shimmer and thought that I wanted him to sit. He gave a grunt then sat.

"I could feel that it wasn't my own idea. Sorry little one". He shrugged at me and stood back up.

I spent the next couple of hours practicing and eventually was able to implant thoughts without them feeling foreign. It was as if I had to bend and mold my ideas and thoughts to theirs. Now that I could see their minds, it would be so much easier to avoid forcing them to do things.

Uncle Edward was very proud of me and he hoped that I would now have control even when I was angry. I saw the pride the entire family had for me. I knew this meant that I was growing up but I was glad. I was hoping that this meant that I would be able to help protect my family if Aro ever decided that they were a threat.

The next week flew by as Uncle Edward had me practice every day. It was becoming second nature to me and came at ease. There was no need for me to struggle or exert energy. I was beginning to be able to do more than just simple commands as well.

Eleazer had come outside to watch what I was doing. Grandpa was up for being my target and I was still doing simple things such as sit, stand and the like. I really hated it when he came to watch because I felt that much more pressure to do my best. I wanted him to believe that I was good!

"Carlisle this girl is amazing! She would never be willing to hurt anyone. Even if Aro had of gotten his hands on her and raised her I truly believe that she would have turned out alright." Eleazer had a huge smile on his face and was no longer brooding and pensive. We all froze and Dad had a look of confusion on his face.

"Eleazer's emotions just changed completely. He went from angry and worried to carefree and happy. I have never seen anything like this before." Dad looked at Edward in hopes that he could shed some light on the situation.

"I have no idea Jasper. His thoughts changes but they appear to be his. Do you think? No it couldn't be." Uncle Edward turned to look at me with his brow furrowed.

"Think what Edward?" Grandpa stepped up and looked at his oldest son.

"I think her powers have grown. If Jasper wasn't manipulating Eleazer's emotions there is no reason for his thoughts and emotions to have taken such a drastic turn. Unless Esmerelda was able to place a thought or idea that made him completely change his mind. It is as if she changed his allegiance almost. Esmerelda, did you think anything about Eleazer before this occurred? Everyone was looking at me and seemed to be holding their breath.

"Well, I was thinking how much I hate it when he watches because I feel pressured. I then thought that it would all be better if he would just like me." I shrugged and looked at the ground.

"I believe she did! Um, perhaps you should undo it darling." Uncle Edward winked at me and I turned to Eleazer. I noticed there was a slight difference in his shimmer, almost a purple color. I reached out with my mind and grabbed it, drawing it towards me. Eleazer shook his head and turned walking into the house.

"I did do it Uncle Edward. I could see the change that I had made and was able to remove it. I won't do it again. I'm sorry." I grimaced and balled my hands into fists. Daddy came over and took my tiny hands in his large ones.

"Esmerelda, it's okay. When abilities grow they sometimes grow at random times. I know that you never meant harm and its okay. If this had never happened how would you know what to do? Think of it as a learning experience. Please stop blaming yourself for your ability growing. It's okay." He tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "Why are you so angry little one?"

"I don't wanna be like him." I refused to look at Daddy and tried to pull away.

"Be like who?" He held onto my hands and turned me back towards him.

"Aro. He's such a bad man and I don't want to be like him." Daddy lifted me into his arms and gave me a big hug.

"Then don't. Being mean and bad is a choice. If you choose to be good then you will be. You are already an amazing person and if you continue on this path you will be the opposite of Aro." He smiled at me as he carried me into the house.

I had been growing so quickly lately that I was going through more clothing than Momma could buy. Nessie had grown up to maturity within seven years which meant that I would most likely to. She had slowed down at five years old and aged must slower after that. I would most likely age to fifteen within the first five years of my life then I would slow down as well. I could only hope that I would be ready when Aro decided to annihilate my family.

 **Authors Note:**

 **In case I forget to write at the beginning of the next chapter, it will be taking place six years in the future.**


	9. Chapter 9

***All characters except Esmerelda are the intellectual property of Stephanie Myer. Esmerelda is the intellectual property of me.***

My alarm rang in a shrill high tone. I groaned as I rolled over and slapped the snooze button. Curling back into the warm spot under the covers I closed my eyes and hoped I could remember the dream. These last few weeks I had been dreaming about my birth mother and had almost seen her face every night. But without fail the alarm always woke me before I was able to.

I heard a creek outside the door and knew that either Dad or Grandpa had come to drag me out of bed. I sighed and rolled over, swinging my feet onto the floor.

"I'm up." I didn't try to hide the annoyance in my voice. I heard Dad snicker as he headed back downstairs. I stood up and stretched, admiring my new room. Grandma had redone Grandpa's office and had even added a bathroom. They gave it to me just last week and I still couldn't get enough of it.

I grabbed a pair of jeans and a sweater and threw them on. I jogged downstairs and found Grandma in the kitchen talking with Nessie. I slid into the seat next to her and stole a slice of her toast. She tried to grab it back but I stuck my tongue out at her. Grandma smiled and slid two more pieces of bread into the toaster.

"How did you sleep last night?" Grandma leaned on the counter and placed her full attention on me.

"Same dream. I just wish it would stop. I know she loved me but I have my momma. I'm happy here." I shrugged and shoved the last of the toast in my mouth. Music began filling the house and I knew that Uncle Edward must be playing. I gave Nessie and Grandma a hug and walked to the living room. I slid onto the bench next to him and we began to play together.

Uncle Edward had taken an interest in teaching me how to play when I was a little over a year. At the same time he had admitted that he was unable to read my mind. I guess he wanted to share something we me. We had composed duets together and I loved playing. He made me feel important and wanted.

I glanced out the window and saw Momma was outside painting. She had recently taken it up and loved painting nature. I enjoyed watching her as it seemed to be the first time since I was born that she was truly at peace. Momma had taken to watching the Volturi with a very close eye. Shortly after Aro had left to find me, Caius had decided to kill Demetri for disobeying Aro. While it was upsetting it was a good thing because it meant the he would be unable to track me. Aro had not picked up on my parents scent and had left very disappointed. So far we had been able to keep my existence a secret from anyone who sided with the Volturi but I was sure that it wouldn't last for long.

Aunt Bella had come over and seemed to want to speak. We stopped playing and looked at her.

"Alice had a vision. I am afraid it isn't good news this time." She turned and led us to the kitchen where the family was gathered. I ran into Momma's arms and held her small body against mine. I was the same height as Dad so I made Mom seem small in comparison.

"Aro has decided to go visit Eleazer. He won't be able to hide his memories from him. Aro will learn about Esmerelda. We have a week until they arrive in Alaska." Everyone's faces were very grim.

"So does this mean we are going to have to fight?" I glanced around to gage my families reactions as they thought about my question.

"I'm honestly not sure. I will have to wait until Aro gets all the information from Eleazer" Momma shrugged her shoulders.

"Then we prepare." Uncle Edward stood and looked at Grandpa. "I know you are against fighting Carlisle, but we can't risk being caught off guard. We should begin by asking those who were willing to stand with us last time. Perhaps it is time that the Volturi were no longer in power." I saw Grandpa frown. I knew that he didn't like violence but he would do anything to protect his family.

I stood and left the room. It broke my heart that I had put my family into such danger. As soon I was outside I ran. With the help of Grandma, I had built a tree house where I could go read and spend time alone. It was far enough from the house that I had privacy but close enough that my family knew I was safe. I quickly climbed the ladder and latched the door. With a sigh, I plopped down on the couch. I came out here to practice my ability on animals so that my family was not as aware of how far it had come. I was now able to enter more than one mind at a time with ease. My mind control was now growing to a blanket if I wanted it to. I could control flocks of birds that were flying overhead so I knew that controlling a coven of vampires would be no problem.

I closed my eyes and tried to empty my mind of all thoughts. I really just wish that I could be a normal six year old. Not that it mattered because I was a monster. A mix of the dead and undead. It didn't matter how often my parents told me that I was a good person. I was half of a man that deserved to die. He had used my birth mother and let her die in the most horrific way. He was going to get payback. I would make him suffer like he could never imagine.

Someone knocked on the door and I held my breath, hoping Dad would go away.

"Sweetie, let me in." I slid the latch off with my foot and sat up. Dad climbed the rest of the way up and sat down, dangling his legs out the entrance. "What's wrong?"

I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. Dad's ability to always know what emotions I was feeling had gotten incredibly annoying over the last year. He always wanted to know what was on my mind.

"If I saw nothing will you leave?" He shook his head and gave me his half smile. I took a deep breath, allowing his scent to penetrate everything. "I know that my actions are what would make me a monster, but sometimes I wonder. If humans knew that I was half human and half vampire would they think I was a monster? It's hard. Aro is finally making a move. I either get to run and hide or fight and I'm not sure what the answer is. Uncle Edward seems to think that the answer is fighting but is it?" I sat up and began braiding my jet black hair.

"I understand. Remember when I told you about my creation?" I nodded wishing yet again that I could rip Maria apart. "I fought with the same idea for a long time after I came to be with your Mother. She taught me that my past was not my choice. If I knew no better, how could I do any different? You are not a monster Esmerelda. I promise that as a family we will figure this out. I also came to get you because an old friend of Carlisle's has dropped in for a visit." He began to descend the ladder and I hit the ground before he did. I grinned at him and allowed him to wrap his arm around my shoulders.

"So who is the random visitor?" I glanced at Dad to see what his reaction would be.

"His name is Gideon and he and Carlisle are around the same age. Gideon is twenty years older and was the first vampire that Carlisle taught to drink animal blood. They both attended medical school together at one point. He is gifted as well and felt called to come visit. He arrived just after you left the house." Dad's face stayed still in his normal thoughtful look. I smiled and bolted ahead of him.

As I reached the door it swung open and I ran smack into a man. I looked up and my breath seemed to be ripped from my body. He was taller than Grandpa but only slightly. He had long black hair pulled into a ponytail. His eyes were golden just like my families. I stepped back and tried to catch my breath.

"I'm so sorry! I'm Esmerelda, Jasper and Alice's adopted daughter." I held out my hand and gasped when he shook it. A shock ran through my body. We jumped apart at the same time and it seemed as if we had both felt it. Grandma gasped and turned to look at Grandpa. A huge smile stretched across Grandpa's face.

"Well Gideon, it seems you were meant to be a part of my family, even after all these years."


	10. Chapter 10

***All characters except Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of Stephanie Myer. Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of me.***

Aro

I found the winter that Eleazer seemed to love so much transfixing. The snow was always different and such an interesting specimen. The way it was able to bend the light and make it appear in so many different colors. Not to mention the people! Oh the flavors were so different and intriguing. Perhaps with was the environment.

I had decided that it had been too long since I had seen my friend. I began this journey to perhaps find answers. Alaska was close to Canada and as I was unable to find any sign of my daughter's body all those years ago, I was hoping that perhaps they had found her and raised her. Eleazer would be unable to say no to me even though he had left the guard years ago. She would be mine within a fortnight.

I had left Volterra three days ago with Jane and Felix. I had left my mate behind where she was safe. I had decided to travel by water to keep us all hidden and to make the travel faster. The home came into view and we rounded the bend. It was simple compared to where we lived and very open. They must have felt that they were completely safe from humans here. I knocked on the door and was surprised that it was opened by Kate. She saw it was me and slammed it in my face. I waited patiently as I knew Eleazer would come. Seconds later the door swung open and he extended his hand to me. I smiled and enveloped it with mine.

I face grew still and I pulled away from him. I turned and ran without a word. The Cullen's would pay, this time they would pay.

.

.

.

Esmerelda

"Grandma?" I knocked on the green house door and entered. I slid my hands into my pockets and watched her planting some new purple flowers.

"Yes sweetie?" She didn't even look up but I knew she was paying attention.

"What did grandpa mean earlier?" I knelt down next to her and began to pull dead leaves off the flowers around me. We worked in silence for a few moments. Grandma wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and sat back on her heals.

"Well a long time ago, before Carlisle found and turned any of us, he stumbled across Gideon. Gideon's ability made it very hard for him to feed on people and he didn't know there was another way. Carlisle taught him that he could feed from animals. They spent a few years together and then parted ways. They met on and off and the last time Gideon was around, Carlisle asked him to stay. He said he couldn't because he wasn't a part of Carlisle's family." Grandma smiled at me.

"Is he my mate?" I didn't want to beat around the bush. I wanted to know if I was going to be stuck with some old guy forever.

"Well the reaction you two had to each other is one of the signals yes. Is that a problem?" Grandma's face began to cloud with worry.

"Problem? No, he's only what, 431 years old?" I stood and ran from the green house. I spun on my heel and ran in the opposite direction of my tree house. I sent out a thought that no one should follow me and kept running.

I didn't care that I had just broken my most sacred rule. I had always dreamt that I would find a human and have him turned to be with me. I had fallen in love with the stories my Aunt's had told me and I guess had wanted that. My heart was beating steadily yet it felt like it was yearning for something. I reached the line that separated the tribe and our land. I slid to a stop and sat down.

I touched my hand where Gideon's had been a few hours before. I could still feel his firm yet gentle hand shake. Was this what it was like? Would I not have a choice? I didn't want to just love him. I wanted to be courted and to fall in love. I felt tears begin to run down my face. I heard a branch snap behind me. I was on my feet in an instant, facing whoever was coming. I expected it to be Uncle Edward because he could always fight off my mind control. Instead, I saw Gideon.

"I'm sorry to have followed you. I heard your reaction and felt I needed to speak to you. I want you to know that I would never force you to be my mate if you did not want it. It has to be your choice Esmerelda. Perhaps we could just talk and get to know each other first." He was leaning against a tree and his golden eyes never left my face. His hair was beautiful and I longed to run my hands through it. I had always thought that Dad was handsome but Gideon was the most stunning man I had ever seen. I gasped as I suddenly realized he had the same drawl as Daddy!

"Are you from Texas?" I couldn't help myself. I needed to know more about this mysterious man.

"No mam. The accent comes from an area in the old world. I'm guessing Jasper is from Texas though." I nodded and then froze. I took a deep breath and was amazed at his scent. It was a mix of hay and the wind after a rainy day. It was the most amazing scent. I shook my head and turned to walk away. He was at my side in an instant.

"May I escort you home?" He held out his arm and I laughed. I wanted old fashioned romance and I got it. I slid my arm through his and we began walking back to the house.

"So Gideon, why come visit now?" I wanted to know if rumor of the mind controlling vampire had brought him here.

"My gift. It's rather complicated and explaining it can be hard. I have a bond with Carlisle because he is like a brother to me. The last time I felt this pull was around fifty-seven years ago but I was detained at the time. This time I had the option of coming so I did. Make sense?" He glanced at me then looked back ahead of us.

"Yes. Why, why come now though?"

"I felt that my brother needed me so I came." He smiled down at me and lifted me over the fallen tree.

I froze with my hands against his chest. He seemed to be too good to be true. I was afraid to let myself fall for him, yet my heart was telling me to. He didn't move either, just seemed to be waiting for me to make the first move. I spun around and took off as fast as I could. I knew I was not match for a full vampire's speed but I needed to get away ad clear my head. I sped over the treaty line as I knew that Emily would be available to talk. She had become a second grandmother to me and I needed her right now.

I entered the clearing that held her and Sam's home and came to a stop. I walked up to the door and knocked. Emily answered and pulled me into her arms. I began to cry and she allowed me to let it all out. When I was done she sent me to living room and she went and made us some tea. Bringing it in, she handed me a cup then sat down across from me.

"Now, what brings you here little star?" She sat back and she sipped on her drink.

"An old friend of Grandpa's showed up. We had a "moment" and now he's all I can think about. I'm scared Aunt Emily." I set the cup down and wrapped my arms around my legs.

"Ah, finding your mate. It's the same for us it's just called imprinting. Its true love little star, fighting it will just make it worse. Now come here and tell me about how you feel." She held out an arm and I sat next to her, allowing her to hold me against her. This was what she had done the first time I met her five years ago and was still my favorite way to be held by her.

"He's a lot like dad. He is a gentleman and knew Grandpa a long time ago. I don't actually know very much about him. He seems to be a wonderful person. I feel like he is my everything. I feel like there's something missing when he isn't near. Yet I am afraid." She rubbed circles on my back as I spoke and I began to feel better, to feel that being with him could be right. "I wanted to kiss him, but I ran here instead."

"And now?" She looked into my eyes and smiled a look of encouragement.

"Now I want to tell him that I want him." I smiled back and her. Throwing my arms around her I thanked her and then ran home. Perhaps growing up and falling in love was not as scary as I thought.


	11. Chapter 11

***All characters except Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of Stephanie Myer. Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of me.***

As soon as I got home my father was jumping down my throat. I had left without him knowing and he was furious.

"Where were you!" He grabbed me by the shoulders and spun me to face him.

"I'm sorry dad. I had to go talk to Aunt Emily. I know I should have told you but I really needed to speak with her. I'm sorry." I hugged him then grabbed his hand and dragged him to the kitchen where I heard Momma talking with Grandma. I threw myself into Momma's arms and almost knocked her off balance. I grinned as she laughed at my exuberant energy.

"Okay Elle, what's going on?" Mom had given me that nickname years ago because Esme was already taken by Grandma.

"Mom, how did you know that Dad was your mate?" I watched as a shadow crept across Dad's face.

"Well, I started having visions of, oh!" I watched as Mom's eyes began moving back and forth, the sign that she was having a vision. As soon as it was done Momma screamed in delight and pulled me into her arms. "Oh Elle! I've seen it all! Your courtship and then you're wedding to Gideon!"

I froze as Momma dropped the bomb before I had a chance to warm Dad up to the idea. He face grew even darker and he turned to go. I tried to hold him back but he easily shook me off. Mom and I followed and found him outside in Gideon's face.

"How dare you touch my daughter! Did you come here just to steal her away from me!" Dad never even gave him the chance to answer. He threw him across the yard with a flick of his wrist. Dad's old battle skills were coming to the surface. He was instantly at Gideon's side and was throwing him again.

"Daddy stop please! Let me explain to you!" I screamed at the top of my lungs and Dad just ignored me.

He slammed Gideon into the ground, face first and then threw him into the shed. I heard the crash and gasped. I tried to go to them but Uncle Edward grabbed me around the waist and held me against him.

"Let them fight it out Elle. You will only get hurt if you try to stop this." His arm squeezed lightly in reassurance. Suddenly Grandpa was there trying to talk Dad down but he wouldn't stop. I began to cry as I watched the two most important men in life fight against each other. As I watched I saw that Gideon was not touching Dad, rather he was blocking his effort to hurt him.

"I can Uncle Edward, but I can't break my rule." I looked behind myself at him.

"Perhaps you should, just this once. Jasper isn't thinking straight." Edward looked at me and I knew that I would have to take control of my father to stop this I turned back to the situation and screamed when I heard a loud crack and saw Dad rip something off of Gideon.

 _You will stop hurting him right now! Calm down and think rationally._

I sobbed as I sent this out to my father. He froze and I watched as his eyes slowly turned from black to golden. Uncle Edward nodded to me and I ran to Gideon. Grandpa was at his side already, holding his arm to his shoulder. I took Gideon's other hand in mine and kissed it. He smiled at me then turned back to Grandpa.

"I have to say Carlisle, this is quite the welcome." He laughed as his body began to reattach his arm. "I remember the first time you had to put me back together. It was the day I met you actually. I had allowed a bear to tear me apart and all that was attached to my body was my head. My ability, while very complex allows me to understand and feel everything that my victims were feeling. As in, I could feel myself draining their blood. It got to the point where I just stopped eating. Carlisle found me and saved me from death."

I smiled at Grandpa and Gideon. I watched in awe as his arm finished reattaching. He stood, and shook his arm, making sure everything worked. He then turned to Jasper.

"Jasper, I promise that I never intended to take your daughter from you. I came here because of the connection that I have with Carlisle. Fifty-seven years ago I felt the pull; I was unable to come to help be a witness for Renesmee. I felt the same pull again a few days ago, when Alice had the vision that Aro was coming for you. So I came. I came to help my brother Jasper nothing else. When we had that connection, I was surprised. I had given up on ever finding a mate. Please understand that I would die rather than hurt Esmerelda. I will also wait until she is fully grown to even consider courting her." He held out a hand to father in trust and to make peace.

"I'm sorry. Esmerelda and Alice are my world and I will kill anyone who ever hurts either of them. I am also shocked that such an older man would be the one for her. I am not ready to let her go yet and she still has time. While she may seem much older, you need to understand that she is still a child." Dad seemed to be threatening Gideon but he shook his hand. I then ran to Dad and threw my arms around him.

"I only have a month till I'm seven Dad. I need to be allowed to make my own decisions." I whispered to make sure that only he could hear. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. He sighed then turned to Gideon.

"You have my permission as long as you take it slow." He then let me go and went to Mom. They ran into the woods hand in hand for much needed time alone.

Gideon looked at Carlisle and he smiled.

"You also have mine. Welcome to the family brother."


	12. Chapter 12

***All characters except Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of Stephanie Meyer. Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of me.***

Gideon left that evening without telling me where he was going. I wasn't his wife so I guess it really didn't matter but it bothered me. I went to my room rather early because I wasn't in the mood to watch all the happy couples that were sitting in the living room. They had invited me to play Pictionary with them but I had no interest in it tonight.

I closed my bedroom door and looked towards the far end of my room. I walked over to my art easel and hit play on my iPod. As Beethoven filled the air, I began mixing colors. I wanted a pink with a hint of red to create a stunning flower. As the colors began to resemble what I had pictured in my mind, I picked up the paint brush. With light strokes the painting began to come alive.

I spent the entire evening painting. As the sun began to break the horizon, I snuck out of the house. I decided to go on a hunt alone. I quickly found a deer and drank my fill. I stumbled across a pond at the base of a small water fall and decided to go for a swim. I stripped off my clothes and dove in head first.

The water was a refreshing cool. There were a few small fish that were too afraid of me to investigate. I allowed my body to sink to the bottom. I watched in awe at the sun that was filtering through the water. It always amazed me that nature could hold such beauty and yet humans continued to destroy it. As my lungs began to run out of air, I shot to the surface. As I settled into a comfortable treed, I heard someone clear their throat.

I spun around but didn't see anyone.

"I'm so sorry Esmerelda, I was heading back to the house. If you will sink back under I will go by with my back to you. You have my word as a man." It was Gideon. A blush began to creep across my cheek bones and I forced myself back down. I counted to ten and then re-surfaced. He was gone.

I threw my clothing on as fast as I could and headed home. I noticed that no one was around so I quickly went and showered. I threw on my favorite jeans and tank top, which was a jade green, very close to my eye color. I quickly put my damp hair into a French braid and returned to the unfinished painting I had left this morning.

I picked up the brush and allowed it to become an extension of my arm. I became lost in my painting and gasped when roses were placed gently beside the canvas.

"Perhaps it would be easier to paint if you had something to look off of." I looked behind me and Gideon stood there holding another set of roses, this time yellow.

"They are stunning Gideon! How did you know I'm trying to paint flowers?" I took the yellow ones and placed them directly in the sun light.

"Your mom. She said you had seen flowers as a child and had been drawn to them ever since. So I went and found the most beautiful ones I could." He shrugged and then nodded towards the finished canvases.

"Sure." I couldn't help the smile that was creeping over my face. He slowly looked them over one by one, not looking away or allowing his face to change expression. As he set the last one down he turned to look at me.

"These are amazing. They show a lot of passion. You should sell them." He went back through and brought out a bouquet or blue flowers. "May I? For my home." I nodded and took it from him. I signed it than varnished it. I opened the window and set it on the ledge to dry.

"The varnish tends to stink so I only do it when the family is out. They all really mind the smell of paint but I rather enjoy it. Even though it's a scent that can be stingy, I get lost in everything and forget it's there. Sorry I'm rambling." I smiled and slowly walked out of my room and downstairs. "I'm sorry but I don't know where the family is. I think that perhaps they went out hunting."

I went to the fridge and began to gather the supplies to cook myself dinner. I grabbed a potato, rapped it in tin foil and threw it in the oven. I quickly grabbed some chicken breasts and set them in a small roaster. I poured a can of spaghetti sauce over them and set them in the oven as well. I turned around to find Gideon leaning against the wall watching me.

"I haven't been around food for a very long time. It is interesting to see someone cook again." He smiled at me and I could feel a blush creeping across my cheeks.

"Well Nessie, Jacob and I need to eat so I learned how to cook because not everyone in my family enjoys the smell anymore. Grandma loves to cook for me so she taught me how. I loved learning how to bake and cook alongside her." I smiled as I remembered all the hours we had spent in the kitchen together. "Momma has always been obsessed with shopping, me not so much. Aunt Rose taught me how to fix cars. The entire family has raised me rather than just Mom and Dad." I smiled at him as I opened a container of cookie dough and whipped out a pan.

"Grandma always makes homemade but when I am lazy or the family is going hunting, she always gets me this stuff." I waved the package towards him and then returned to the pan. I applied cooking spray and swiftly cut the stick of dough into even sized coin shapes. I slipped the pan into the fridge and turned to Gideon. "I'm sorry I have been blabbing. You don't have to stay around here if you don't wanna." I sat down at the kitchen breakfast area in hopes that he would want to sit and talk.

"I came to see you Esmerelda. Not your family." He sat next to me but looked rather awkward in the perfect kitchen. While he was perfect in every way, he didn't seem to fit in the kitchen environment anymore. I suppose since he had no use for them it may have been hundreds of years since he was in one.

"Well I suppose you have heard enough from me. Daddy says I tend to babble when"

His lips pressed against mine and I felt as if they were sparklers. I felt a heat start within my chest and travel down through my limbs. I didn't want it to end yet I wanted it to end. He broke away first and smiled at me.

"Stealing a kiss was always my favorite part of courtship. It also quiets ya down when ya just can't stop." He winked at me and stood to face the wall. "You can stop hiding now Jasper. I meant no harm."


	13. Chapter 13

***All characters except Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of Stephanie Meyer. Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of me.***

I jumped away from Gideon as Dad stepped into the kitchen. He seemed to have a complete hatred for Gideon and while I understood, I didn't like it. Gideon stood, brought my hand to his lips, bowed and left. Dad stood with his arms crossed just staring.

"You ruined it." I mumbled under my breath as I clenched and unclenched my fist. I made sure that it was hidden behind the counter so that he couldn't see it.

"Ruined what Elle? Hmm? Planning on consummating the relationship right here in the kitchen?" While his voice stayed quiet I could hear the sour undertone. Dad was not only displeased he was angry that someone had come into my life so soon.

"Not that it's any of your business. You probably fucked fifty or more women while you were human! Most of them whores." I narrowed my eyes and filled my voice with venom.

"Esmerelda Lilly Cullen! How dare you!" His eyes began to turn black and I could hear his voice slowly rising but I didn't care. I wanted him to know that I was serious about this and that he needed to back down. "I changed your diapers. I held you for two days while you cried and screamed as you shattered leg healed after you fell out of that tree. I have been here every step of the way and loved you since I set eyes on you. What I did as a human is most definitely not your concern while your life is definitely mine!"

"Wanna bet Jasper?!" I spat his real name as if it held a bad taste for me. "I am not your daughter so what I do with my life does not concern you in any way. I wish I had died that day rather than be found by you!" I picked up the chair that was in front of me and threw it at him. "I am sick of your controlling behaviour! You don't own me! You have acted like I belonged to you since I first met you! Well it's over." I grabbed the bar stool and threw it at him as well. He brought his arms up to stop them from hitting his face but he didn't stop then from hitting him.

 _Forget I ever existed. Every memory of me is gone from your mind._

I ran upstairs and packed a small suitcase. I grabbed some money that Alice had hidden I my room along with the driver's license and passport. I swiped the car keys that Jasper had given me and left. I made sure that my words had reached everyone in the family. If Jasper thought that he was going to get between me and Gideon he was sadly mistaken.

.

.

.

It didn't take me very long to find the hotel that Gideon was staying in. I parked my car outside and called his number.

"Hello?"

"Hi Gideon. It's Elle. I was wondering if you would like to go to dinner?"

"Sure. Shall I come get you?" He sounded excited at the idea.

"I'm in the parking lot. Blue jeep. Come down when you are ready." I couldn't help but smile as I began to take my future into my own hands. I hit the end button and settled into the seat.

Gideon was at the car within five minutes. He gracefully sat in the seat next to me.

"So dinner. What did you have in mind?" He looked at me with a confused look in his eyes.

"I thought we could go out of town and get some mountain lion or bear." I couldn't help the grin that was splitting my face. I slid the petal down and shot out of the lot. It didn't take us long to get to the walking trail. We parked and walked the trail until it was just us.

As soon as no one was I sight we shot off the trail. We started at a human ran and as the scent faded we ran faster. Gideon stayed at my fastest pace as I could only go at half of their speed. We quickly caught the scent of a mountain lion. I froze in my tracks and glanced at Gideon. He gestured to me and bowed. I smiled and took off after it. Within moments I was drinking my fill. As the warm blood trickled down my throat I felt power build within me.

When I stood from my kill, I turned to find that Gideon had watched me. He smiled and stepped towards me.

"Never have I found a woman more attractive than you." His pressed his lips to mine and licked the blood that transferred. He kissed my hand and then took off in the other direction. I took a deep breath and smelled bear. I smiled and began to bury my kill. As soon as it was done, I headed to the nearby stream and began to wash my hands. An idea entered my head and I ran to the end of the stream. The pond.

I slipped out of my capris and shirt and dove in. I knew that Gideon would find me easily enough and I also knew that I wanted to be his wife more than anything. And I was going to make it happen.


	14. Chapter 14

***All characters except Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of Stephanie Meyer. Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of me.***

I shot straight up in a panic. I felt around me and realized that I was lying in bed. My bed. At home. I felt my heart begin to beat just a little faster than normal. I swung my legs out of bed and saw that I was in my favorite pajamas. I speed walked to my easel and saw a half finished flower painting, though it was barely ledge able. It looked as if someone had wiped across it with a rag. I ran to the mirror and saw that there was no paint on me, yet I looked awful. My eyes were cloudy and I had dark circles under my eyes.

I spun around to go find my family and spots swam before my eyes. I hit the floor before I could react. I heard scrambling from downstairs and suddenly Daddy was there. He scooped me into his arms and laid me back into bed.

"Dad what's going on?" I looked at him and saw concern trying to etch lines into his perfect face.

"Nothing hunny. You need to rest though. Go to sleep and I will be right here when you wake up." He began to run his fingers through my hair, the only thing that would get me to sleep as a smaller child. My eye lids began to feel heavy and I allowed them to close.

When I awoke next, Grandpa, Momma, Aunt Rose and Grandma were all gathered around my bed. I tried my best to speak but nothing came out.

"Shhh sweetie. Now is the time to rest. I promise it will all be explained later." Aunt Rose was holding one of my hands and rubbing circles on it with her fingers. The touch kind of hurt but I was also afraid. Of what, I'm not sure. Sleep crept over me and pulled me back under.

I awoke to birds singing and the sun gently shining through the curtains. I lifted my head and saw that I was alone. A glass of water was on my bedside table along with a small cup that held some pills. I took the pills and drank the entire glass of water. I felt so weak. My arms were so sore and I know I don't have the strength to stand. I lie back down and quickly fell into a fitful sleep.

The next morning came quickly and I awoke feeling rested. I slowly climbed out of bed and found that my strength was coming back. I grabbed another set of pajamas and headed to the bathroom. I turned the shower on and stepped under the warm water. I felt so sticky and gross and wanted to wash all of it off.

Half an hour later I stepped out of the shower. I quickly climbed back into bed as I felt the strength slowly sapping from my limbs. I grabbed my cell and sent a quick text to dad. Within moments he walked through the door.

"Hi sweetie. How are you feeling?" He sat down on the edge of my bed and handed me a steaming cup of tea. I gratefully took it and sipped it gently.

"Better. While I feel weak I don't feel that I need to sleep constantly dad. What happened?"

"It took us a bit to figure out. Your Uncle Emmet actually figured it out. It started when we heard a loud crash as you hit the floor. We found you unresponsive on the floor and no matter what we did we couldn't wake you. The next day you started mumbling and took a seizure every two hours. We had no idea what was wrong with you. I thought we were going to lose you. You are still fighting the disease so I need you to stay calm okay?" I nodded and sat back, getting comfortable. I set the tea aside and grabbed my teddy. Hugging it to my chest I looked back at Dad. "Well, you have Rabies. An animal that you drank from about two weeks ago must have had it. Most likely in the early stage, which shows no signs, so you never knew. Carlisle theorized that it would run its course and leave your system although it would leave you weak for a while. Not sure how long that while will be." He looked at me and began to analyze my emotions.

"How long was I out?" I reached out and grabbed Dad's hand, terrified. I had never been sick before and the fact that it had actually knocked me out terrified me to my very bones.

"Three days before you came to the first time. Seven in total. Carlisle says that the worst in over but there will be side effects and they may last up to a few months. He wants you to stay in bed for at least a week. Showers are allowed but bedrest. I'm so glad you're okay Elle. I was scared I was gunna lose my little girl." He leaned forward kissed my forehead, smoothing away the stray hairs.

"While I was out, I had a horrible dream." I climbed over the blankets and settle into Dad's lap. He wrapped his arms around me and I set my head on his shoulder. "I hurt you and then left the family. I was gunna force Gideon to marry me. It was awful Dad!" He hugged me closer to him and kissed my head.

"Well it didn't happen hunny. You were here, safe with us. Now get some more sleep." He settled me back into the bed and then closed the curtains. He put on an audio book and left, gently closing the door behind him.

I lay down listening to the words. While Dad had given me a vague idea of what had happened, he hadn't told me everything. I could tell that he was withholding something and I was going to get it out of Nessie the next time I saw her. Because there was no way she stayed away while I was sick. I closed my eyes and settled into the bed. I hugged teddy to me and closed my eyes.

I slipped into a sound sleep and woke that evening. My tummy was rumbling and no sooner had I turned the lamp when Nessie came in with a tray of food.

"Hey Elle. Grandpa wanted you to eat." She carried the tray over and set it down. She sat next to me and then hugged me. When she let go I grabbed her hand. "Elle no!"

I was forced to watch my family gathered around my still body. After I woke up the first time, the screaming began. I would scream and scream and scream. Then I would take a seizure. It kept repeating. Finally I stopped and just slept. The fever broke and then I awoke for the second time. Sleep was less fitful.

I dropped her hand and sat back.

"Elle. I'm sorry." She quickly got up and left. I threw the food, tray and all at the wall. I curled up in a ball and cried myself back to sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

***All characters except Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of Stephanie Meyer. Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of me.***

The next day I awoke on my own. The sun was out and I could hear the birds singing. With a smile, I headed to the shower with a bounce in my step. I had hope that I was getting better and that I would be fine within the month. I started the water and stepped under it. I allowed the heat to seep into my bones. I reached for the shampoo bottle that was in the caddy above my head and gasped. The room began to spin and I felt my legs beginning to shake. I screamed as I hit the floor of the shower. In seconds Mom and Aunt Bella were in the bathroom. Mom ran to find Grandpa while Aunt Bella helped me finish showering. I knew that Mom was struggling to see me this way and that it was best that one of my Aunt's was looking after me.

Once Aunt Bella had me dressed and back in bed, Grandpa came in. He checked me over and said that it was just weakness caused by the disease but I wasn't allowed to bathe without help from now on. He also ordered that I get some fresh air. Daddy carried me downstairs to the patio so I could sit outside and get some fresh air. Mom had gone out and bought me several new books so that I could have something to do. Grandma settled a blanket over my legs and set a bottle of water next to me. Then everyone left me alone. While I know that they aren't actually leaving me along, it's nice to know that I have some space.

I had not been able to stop seeing the pain on my family's faces as they faced the possibility of losing me. I knew that I still wasn't out of the woods yet. The disease was attacking every part of me, trying to kill me. I felt more fragile than a new born human baby. If I had of known that the animal I had gone after had this disease, I would have stopped drinking blood altogether. I saw in Nessie's memory that this disease was taking everything I had. I figured that I would be lucky to live for a year. I had imagined forever and it was going to be cut short because of a stupid disease.

I felt fingers wiping away the tears that I didn't know where there. I glanced over and saw Gideon kneeling next to my chair.

"Hello beautiful." He smiled and pulled a chair up next to me. "What's wrong?" He reached out and took my hand between his two large ones.

"I'm dying aren't I?" I looked to him for truth, the truth that I knew my family was hiding from me.

"Well, from what Carlisle and I can tell the disease is attacking the part of you that is human. The part of you that is vampire is fighting back equally hard. We just have no idea which part will win." He lifted me in one swift motion, sat and settled me on top of him. I set my head on his chest and allowed the tears to flow. As I released the tension through my tears, I drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

Aunt Rose woke me later that afternoon. She helped me take a bath and did my hair and makeup. I kept asking her what was going on but she refused to answer. She helped me into my favorite blue dress and then half carried me downstairs. The living room was decorated in bouquets of flowers, roses. There must be every color that could possibly be grown. Aunt Rose continued through to the deck and set me in a chair. It was dark out and all the lights in the house were off. Instead candles were lit all around. It was probably one of the most peaceful things I had ever seen.

As I settled the shawl Aunt Bella had gotten me around my shoulders I spotted Gideon. He was wearing dress pants and a stunning white dress shirt. For the first time since I had seen him, he had his hair down. Only the top was drawn up to keep it out of his eyes. I smiled and tried to stand up but he was at my side in an instant. He sat in the chair across from me and drew my hands into his.

"Esmerelda, there are some things I need to tell you. When I was human, I came from a rich and elite family. I was the oldest, set to inherit all of my father's fortune. I was brilliant. I learned everything my father had to teach me and more. Yet there was always something missing. So I turned to women. My first was at the age of sixteen. She was a high end whore that my Dad hired for my birthday. He told me that the only way I could become a man was to sleep with a women. I believed him." He raked his hand through his hair and stood up. "I was hooked. There was a power there that I found. Women at my beck and call, whenever I wanted. I grew tired of it though. There was no fun in sending for a woman that I was paying for, I wanted a challenge. So I began to go for young women. I was twenty when I wooed a fifteen year old. I made her as many promises as I could to get her to trust me. She eventually did and I took her for everything. Once I was done I threw her away like trash. Two months later I learned that she committed suicide. Yet I didn't care. I eventually lost count of all the girls I hurt. I married a young woman at the age of twenty-six yet I was dissatisfied. I cheated on her over and over. We had two children and I probably had more out there. At the age of thirty-six, a vampire found me. We made friends and I didn't know at first. We both treated women the same so we got along great. He decided to turn me then abandoned me." His voice cracked and he turned away.

 _That's your past Gideon. Why are you telling me all this?_

"Just listen darling. It will come to light soon enough. I spent so many years in the dark. Until Carlisle found me. I learned to control my thirst and began to repair the damage I had done during my years as a human. Elle, until the first day that I saw you, I thought love would never be possible for me. I gave up, yet here you are. The most beautiful and intelligent woman I have ever had the honor to lay eyes on. I want to show you the world. To spend every waking minute by your side. Yet I feel as if I don't deserve to be happy." His eyes showed me how much pain he was in.

"Oh Gideon. I forgive you okay? Let it go." I leaned forward and kissed his forehead. I sat back and took a drink from the water glass that was on the table. When I looked back, Gideon was on one knee.

"Esmerelda Cullen, will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?"


	16. Chapter 16

***All characters except Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of Stephanie Meyer. Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of me.***

I couldn't get over the stunning ring that Gideon had picked out for me. Apparently he and Dad had gone to town during my nap and picked it out together. Instead of a diamond in the middle, there was a stunning emerald. On each side were tiny leaves that were made out of the gold and had small diamonds inlaid. It held such beauty and stood out against my pale beige skin. I absolutely loved it. Momma had seen me say yes in a vision so tomorrow all us ladies were going to pick out a wedding dress. I had asked for the wedding to be held this weekend, on an evening because I loved the stars so much.

Dad pulled me aside after everyone finished congratulating us.

"Gideon told me everything while we were trying to pick out the ring. I must admit, while I am not happy with his past, I am proud of him for his honesty. He came to me and laid everything at my feet and then asked my permission to ask you. He also told me that if I said no, he would leave and never look back. He doesn't want to cause you any pain and I know that. Is this what you want?"

"Yes. I know that there is a chance that I won't get better. I had no plans for my future but now my future may not exist. I want to live while I can Dad. I want to have what you and Mom have and what everyone in this family has." I gave him a big hug and stood to go see Gideon. Dad pulled me against him and kissed my head.

"Then I want you to have everything." He smiled at me then let me go. I knew that this meant that he was ready to give me over to another, to allow me to finish growing up.

The next few days flew by in a blur. The wedding was small and simple. To be honest I was concentrating so hard on standing by myself that I don't remember what happened. The day quickly came to an end and Gideon carried me to a small wooden cottage that he and Grandpa had built together. All the furniture had been handmade and was beaitufl. He carried me over the threshold and then set me down. I gasped as I took in the beauty.

The main room was small, it had a couch with a single chair, both with beautiful teal upholstery. One wall had a built in bookcase and a fireplace in the middle. The kitchen opened off of it. A small hallway led down to the bedroom and attached bathroom. All of my things had been moved here. The surprise was a room made of windows that was now holding all of my art and supplies. There was a beautiful chair and desk so that I could paint even though I was sick. Gideon had even gotten a bouquet of roses and placed it on a table.

"Oh Gideon." I smiled at him and then sank onto the bed. My strength was quickly waning yet there was still so much to do. I tried to stand but Gideon gently held me down. He helped me out of the stunning dress and into my pajamas. "Gideon?"

"Yes darling?" He sat behind me and began removing all the bobby pins that were holding it in place.

"Shouldn't I be preparing myself for you?" I began to nervously play with my drawstrings.

"Not tonight my love. You need rest. When you are stronger and only when you are ready." He kissed my head and combed out my hair. I lay down under the covers and he quickly changed. He had to wear a t-shirt and pajama pants to bed because I would have found his skin too cold otherwise. He wrapped an arm around my waist and I quickly fell asleep cuddling teddy.

I awoke the next morning feeling worse. Gideon was no longer in bed and I was not sure where my cell phone was. I curled into a ball, around teddy wishing Mom and Dad were here. I began to shiver and I couldn't get warm.

"MOM! DAD!" I began to shiver harder and started retching. My strength was gone and I knew that this was most likely the end for me. Gideon was suddenly at my side. He scooped me into his arms and ran for the main house. Dad met him at the door and I was rushed into Grandpa's make shift hospital room.

"Gideon I need a blanket. Jasper hold her hand." Grandpa quickly began to check me over and I watched as worry lines crossed his face. "She has a fever and its only rising. I don't know if we can get it down. Alice, Rose, please fill the tub with ice." He turned to me and stroked my sweat covered brow.

"Here." Gideon placed the thin blanket over my body and I clutched it for dear life. As soon as Aunt Rose appeared in the room, Grandpa had me in his arms. The whole family was trying to crowd into the master bathroom as I was placed in the ice filled tub. My teeth began to chatter but I knew that they were just trying to do what was best.

"Carlisle, the fever is back. It barely broke last time." Concern filled Gideon's voice and I knew that I was dying. I reached out for him and he took my hand.

"Let me go." I was barely able to say the words as my body began to violently shake.

"She's seizing Carlisle!" Gideon had me on the floor and was holding my head in place. I retched and began to throw up blood. Mom began screaming hysterically and Dad could only hold her. Tears began to flow down my face as I saw the pain on everyone's faces. I retched again and more blood. The bathroom must look as if someone had been murdered. A scream tore through my lips and I was unable to stop it.

I began fighting Gideon and Grandpa and was suddenly incredibly afraid of the bathtub. The screams continued. Seizure after seizure occurred until I could do nothing but breathe in between. Mom had collapsed onto the floor and was sobbing hysterically. Dad had left, unable to handle watching his daughter die before his eyes. I turned my head to look into Gideon's eyes.

"I love you." The words barely came out in a whisper. I took a small breathe and could feel my heart slowing.

"No!" Gideon shoved grandpa out of the way and bit down. He grabbed my arm and bit at the wrist. He bit several more times then took my head between his bloodied hands. "No sweetie. Please hang on."

GPO

I looked into her beautiful green eyes and saw how dim they had grown. Her breath was barely a whisper but I prayed that the venom would work. I could not lose her. She smiled at me and reached up, touching my cheek with the palm of her hand. I heard her heart try to beat and falter. Her eyelids fluttered and her hand fell. Her chest released the air that was in it. All was still.

Esmerelda was gone.


	17. Outtake: Wedding

***All characters except Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of Stephanie Meyer. Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of me.***

I stood in front of the mirror admiring the simple pale green dress I had picked out. It was strapless and came to a tight waist. From there it flowed down to the ground. Momma said that I looked like an angel. Aunt Rose had done my hair up in ringlets and had done my makeup. I looked as beautiful as I had before I had gotten sick. I could feel butterflies tingling in my stomach as I waited for Dad to come and get me. I began breathing in and out slowly. There was a slight knock on the door than Dad entered.

"Hi sweetie. Are you ready?" He smiled as he held out his hand.

"Ready as I will ever be Daddy." I took his hand and slowed him to carry me down the stairs. He set me down in the living room and we proceeded down that aisle. Gideon stood waiting next to Grandpa who was doing the honor of marrying us.

"Welcome everyone who have joined us today as these to have decided to show their love for each other by becoming husband and wife. Gideon?" Grandpa nodded at Gideon and he took a deep breath.

"Esmerelda, I know I have only known you for a short time but I know that I want you at my side. I want to be able to spend every moment with you and share all my experiences with you. I want to care for you and to stand with you. I vow to honor and respect you and to love you no matter what." He brought my hand to his lips and kissed it.

"Gideon while there is breath in my body I will love you. Although I cannot give you much, I will give you companionship until the day I die. I love you." I clutched his hand to my heart and smiled.

"Do you Gideon take Esmerelda as your wife?"

"I do."

"Do you Esmerelda take Gideon as your husband?"

"I do."

"Then I now pronounce you husband and wife. May I present Mr. and Mrs. Gideon and Esmerelda Devons."


	18. Chapter 18

***All characters except Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of Stephanie Meyer. Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of me.***

GPOV

A looked down at her still body and felt an extreme anger building inside of me. A scream erupted from my body as I clutched her to me. I couldn't hear what anyone else was saying, I could only feel the pain. The hole that had erupted where my heart used to be. Life now seemed worthless and eternity too long. She was gone and there was nothing I could do. I kissed her one last time then ran. I couldn't handle her family right now and needed to grieve on my own. I ran until I hit the ocean and then I dove into the cold water. I began to swim with nowhere in mind. I just wanted to swim.

.

.

.

I surfaced several days later on a remote island in the middle of the ocean. I dragged myself onto the shore and began to cry. While no tears could leave me, I sobbed and screamed. I let all my anger and frustration out. When I could cry no more, I lay still. I felt my left hand and began to rub the ring, the only symbol that I had ever been married. I was furious that my wife had been stolen from me so quickly. A disease had stolen her so there was no one for me to get back at. There was no way for me to make something or someone pay.

I couldn't be sure how long I sat. How long I mourned her before I decided to return to my family. Even though she was no longer there, I didn't want to be anywhere else in the world. So I returned. I swam back and took my time returning to the main house.

When it came into view I paused. Listening I could hear the entire family and a voice that I didn't recognize. They must have a guest. I entered through the kitchen door and was greeted by a very surprised Carlisle.

"Gideon! Where have you been?" He pulled me into a hug and then held me at arm's length while watching my face.

"I had to get away Carlisle. I just mourned and then decided to return to my family. I am sorry if I caused any worry." I tried to smile at him but was unable to. Carlisle put his arm around my shoulder and led me to the living room. I saw the entire family sitting around playing a game Standing in the middle with the drawing board was a stunning young women. Her eyes were red and her black hair hung to the floor. I gasped as she turned and faced me.

"Elle?"

EPOV

I was floating in nothing. I could hear no voices or feel nothing. Perhaps this was death or could it be called freedom. A scream suddenly broke through the silence.

My eyes shot open and I looked around. The entire family seemed to be waiting for something though what it is I'm not sure. I sat up and stretched, though there was no satisfaction. This is odd. I looked at my hand and it was smooth, perfect.

"Elle?" I turned and looked at Daddy.

"Yes?" I couldn't help but jump at the sound of my voice. It was perfect just like my parents. "Dad what happened?"

"Sweetie, you almost died. The Rabies killed you but Gideon was able to get enough venom into your system that you changed. Your fully vampire now." Everyone seemed to be oddly cautious of me. I stood up and walked to the mirror that was in the room. I looked amazing, just as beautiful as Momma and Aunt Rose. My eyes were red and gross but I knew that they would fade with time. I turned to face the family and smiled.

"It's okay Dad. I was half anyways and everyone I love is full vampire so why would I have a problem with it. Where's Gideon?" I glanced around and couldn't spot him anywhere. I did a double take and when I still didn't spot him I began to worry.

"Elle, he left. He believed you died and left to grieve. I think he will be back when he is ready." Dad pulled me into his arms and gave me a big hug. It was odd that we were suddenly the same temperature but I liked it. I held onto my father as if there was no tomorrow. I was so happy to be alive and able to spend forever with my family. "Um Elle? You're hurting me."

I couldn't help but laugh as I let go of Dad. I turned to Mom and gave her a careful but firm hug. As soon as the family figured out that I meant no harm they all crowded around me. Everyone got hugs and was so happy that I was alive. Everyone knew except the one that mattered most, Gideon.

The family decided to allow me space to get a handle this new existence. I went for a walk to the cottage that I had only been able to stay in for one night. I spent hours admiring every detail that Grandpa and Gideon had placed in the home. Someone had come and fixed up the house since that morning. The bed was made and the whole room smelled strongly of Gideon. I lay down on the bed where he had slept and spent the night snuggling into the pillow.

I entered the house the next day to find the family waiting for me. I greeted them all and we spent the day having family time. We played games and spent the day laughing. It felt so great to have a day of just us, a time of joy after such a fearful few days. In the evening I brought forward Pictionary, my favorite game to play.

We paired off into two teams and began to play. I saw Uncle Edward whisper something to Grandpa before he left the room. It was my turn so I brushed it off. As I was trying to draw my word, I heard two people come in. I ignored it because I wanted to win.

"Elle?"


	19. Chapter 19

***All characters except Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of Stephanie Meyer. Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of me.***

I turned around and saw Gideon standing next to Grandpa. His face held a look of pure shock and he seemed to be trying to talk. I gave him a few moments before I flew into his arms. My body hit his with such force we landed on the deck. We had shattered the glass door the used to separate the kitchen and the deck.

I kissed Gideon with all the passion that I could muster. He was frozen, shocked.

"Gideon?" I sat up, placing my pelvic bone on his stomach. "It's okay, I'm alive." I smiled at him as I watched his face change expression and emotion.

"Elle." My name just barely passed his lips and he was holding me against him. He kept whispering my name again and again as he held me. He ran his hand through my hair and seemed lost in the fact that I was still here. His body began to sob and I wrapped my arms around him. I kissed his head and neck and just held him. He finally pulled away and just looked at me.

"Hi sweetie." I smiled at him and shrieked as he quickly stood up. He set me on my feet and just held me. His hands ran over my back again and again as if he was afraid that I was just going to disappear. It was almost the same reaction that Dad had had when I woke. Gideon kept breathing in my scent, which was stronger and more irresistible now. I allowed him to hold onto me for as long as he needed.

"Elle, I can't believe it. You're here." He smiled at me and I ran my fingers through his tangled hair.

"Thanks to you. I love you Gideon." I stood on my tippy toes and brought my lips to his. He wrapped his arms around my torso and then pulled me to him. I wrapped my legs around his waist and became lost in the kiss. Suddenly he turned and bolted from the main house.

He kept me on his hips and ran to the house. I knew exactly what he had in mind. "Gideon!" He slammed open the door and I was up against the wall. I gasped as my shirt was ripped by his exploring hands. While it was what I wanted, I wanted to take it slowly. I shoved him away and took the upper hand.

I brought my lips to his and slowly kissed him, allowing my love and passion to pour fourth. I ran my hands over his torso feeling ever line and bend. I felt the scars that he had and the perfections. I took him all in. Gideon had not let go of me since he realized that I was alive. His hands were firm against my slender hips. His fingers were digging into my stone hard skin, sending waves of pain and pleasure through my body. I brought my lips to his neck and slowly kissed my way back to his lips. He groaned and pressed his body against mine. I smiled and stood, giving him my hand. I pulled him against me and jumped, wrapping my legs around his waist. He pressed his lips against mine and grabbed the back of my jeans. With one motion he tore them off of me. My bra and underwear caused no hindrance. Our skin was the same temperature and I no longer felt cold when he touched me. We were both almost unbreakable and I knew that there was no longer any fear within him.

We became one that night and didn't leave to cottage for a good two days. Now that I was well and equal, Gideon wanted me more than anything. We were unable to get enough of each other though I am happy to say that the cottage remained intact. The third morning I untangled myself from Gideon and took a shower. Gideon joined me and we made love yet again. When I was finally able to get some alone time, I realized that my life was now completely different. There had been a chance at me being able to have a child but now it was gone. I had never really thought of it before, but now it was suddenly at the forefront of my mind.

I shook my head and quickly dressed, wanting to see the family. I entered the main house and met Grandma.

"Hello sweetie. How are you?" She had a twinkle in her eye and was unable to keep a smile off of her face.

"I'm fine. Where is the rest of the family?" I looked around and froze when I realized that there was something wrong. I quickly walked into the living room to see everyone crowded around Mom. I rushed over to her side and sat next to her.

"Hey Elle. Aro has finally made a decision. He is gathering as many of his allies as he can and is coming to try and destroy us." She gripped my hand between hers and I could feel her body shaking. "From what I saw, they will all die."

"Then they have signed their own deaths Momma. It isn't our fault that they are choosing to follow Aro into this. Perhaps it is time that he be stopped." I looked around at the family. "It's time to call on those who were willing to stand with you when Aro wanted to kill Nessie. Tell them Aro has taken a stand and has decided that we are in his way. It's time to stop him from doing this." I stood and walked to Jacob. "Will your tribe help us? Those who are left?"

"I can ask, I can also see if any of the local tribes are willing to help." He gripped Nessie's plae hand between his. I knew everyone was afraid but I also knew that my powers had most likely grown since I had become a full vampire. I would place a fear in Aro so great that he would never see what was coming.

"Grandpa, you know who is where and how well they know others. Can you delegate places to everyone?" I stepped back and sat down next to Mom allowing Grandpa to take over.

"Siobhan told me that they would stand with us if the Volturi ever moved against us. I believe that all that stood with us last time will stand with us again. Alice how long do we have?" He turned towards Mom but she didn't move.

"I estimate about two months. This time they really do need to prepare. The wives have to stay protected yet they need numbers. Aro also has to figure out where we are and then they will come." She grasped my hand and I could feel her shaking. I wrapped my arms around my Mother and offered her what little support I could.

"Then we go now. Esme and I will go to Egypt and Ireland. Rosalie and Emmet can go round up our friends without covens. Alice and Jasper, you can go to Africa. Gather everyone you can find there. We leave tonight." Grandpa turned to Grandma and pulled her against him. They kissed and then separated to get ready. Everyone began to prepare to gather those who would be willing to follow. I stood and went to Gideon who had entered halfway through the conversation.

"Grandpa didn't say but we are going to stay here to welcome and look after those who are sent. Grandpa is calling the Denali's and they will be here tomorrow." I wrapped my arms around him and allowed his scent to penetrate my every pore.

"Elle, I think it's time that I told you what my gift is. I call myself a guardian."


	20. Outtake:Birth from Mothers Perspective

***All characters except Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of Stephanie Meyer. Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of me.***

I ran my hand over my swollen belly and could feel that child moving inside of me. The baby was strong like her father, yet he didn't seem to want to hurt me. Every time the baby moved, it was gently. A slight push here or a stretch there. Perhaps just to reassure me that everything was okay.

I glanced around the cabin that Aro had given to me after I had discovered that I was pregnant. It was rather empty but held the necessities. There was a cooler full of blood, most likely stolen from a hospital. Aro had warned me that as the child grew, I would need the blood to stay alive. I agreed to drink it for the child.

Yet it had been months since I had seen Aro. He had sworn his undying love for me and the child yet was now gone. I sighed and sat down in the rocking chair.

"Well little one it looks as if it is going to be a beautiful day. I wish I could sit outside but this chair is just too heavy. Oh well, soon enough you will be here and all will be well. I love you." I smiled as I felt what I believed to be that babies hand pressing back against mine. My baby. I was honestly shocked that I had been able to get pregnant as doctors had told me it was impossible.

I lay back in the chair and began slowly rocking talking to the baby. I was telling her that we came from a small town just outside of New York. My mother was half black and had been raised in a ghetto. When she met my dad, a rich business man and they got married they moved to a small town where fresh air and few people were. I had not known that we were rich as we lived a modest life. It was all I ever wanted for my family, for the children I had only ever dreamt of having. Now here she was. Growing inside of my belly, moving and living.

I heard a thud at the back door and jumped to my feet. It sounded again and fear grew inside of me. I began to run, throwing the front door open and running as fast as I could. I wrapped my arms around my belly and held it against me. I could feel my baby trying to stay still and bracing himself as gently as she could. I took a deep breath and kept running. A branch snapped behind me and I screamed. Everything went black.

.

.

.

Pain. Burning. Darkness.

I opened my eyes and glanced around. The first thing I laid eyes on was Aro. My wonderful Aro was here with me.

"Ah, Lilly. Welcome! You are in my home. One of my men brought you to me. I am afraid that the baby didn't make it. But not to worry my darling." He took my hand and kissed it. I gasped and then froze. The burning in my throat was horrible. I needed to find something to quench it. There was a sound, a wet beating sound. I needed it. I wanted it.

I turned around and saw a person cowering in the corner. I crouched down and a hiss escaped my lips. I felt venom flow into my mouth. A scream erupted from the person. I pounced.


	21. Chapter 21

***All characters except Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of Stephanie Meyer. Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of me.***

"A guardian? What's that?" I looked into his eyes and saw a laugh flicker through them.

"I had to coin the phrase because there had never been a talent like mine before. Basically when I become close to someone, as I was with Carlisle, I will do anything to protect them. I have strength, speed and am able to track those who I love. When they are in trouble, I am called to them. I wish I had been able to come to help when Renesmee was small. Sadly, I was hunting down some bitch in the south who was getting out of hand. I believe her name was Maria. Before I met you, I would get rid of vampires that didn't earn their immortality. I guess you could call me a bounty hunter. I also have like a sixth sense, I know when someone is lying to me." He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me.

"Wait," I pulled away and turned to face him "Explain." I crossed my arms and glared at him.

"I basically become unstoppable when someone I love is threatened. Let's say that someone wanted to hurt you, they wouldn't make it within twenty feet of you before their head was separated from their body. They also wouldn't see it coming." He held back, afraid that he had upset me.

"Not about that! You killed Dad's maker!" I watched as Gideon's face showed signs of shock. "It's a good thing! Dad told me what she had done. He wanted her to die but he felt he could never do it himself. Does he know?" I grabbed Gideon's hand and held it tightly in mine.

"Ow! No. Perhaps you should tell him once the Volturi is taken down." I released the pressure and turned to run upstairs. He hooked his arm around my waist and threw me onto the couch. I twisted so I landed on my feet. A growl escaped before I could help it.

"Gideon!" I glared at him as he walked over and pulled me into his lap. He kissed me neck and then wrapped his arms around me.

I sat next to Gideon holding his hand the entire night. The family each said goodbye and then went off to find our friends. We would wait here with Nessie and Jacob and welcome each vampire as they arrived. Fear existed but I couldn't let it rule me. I needed to keep a straight head for what was coming. I had only been alive for a short seven years, my birthday had come and gone while I was transforming. My life had been wonderful and amazing. I had been blessed with the best parents I could ever ask for. I had found my mate after such a short time and yet it was all in danger of being ripped away from me. Aro had created me and I planned to destroy him, to rip his head from his shoulders and wipe him off the earth.

Gideon gently touched my arm and I looked up. Eleazer, Carmen, Tanya, Kate and Garett. I smiled and stood to greet them.

"Hey everyone. Thanks for coming. Did Grandpa tell you why he called?" I watched as they all gasped as they realized that I was now a full vampire. I allowed them time to figure it out and to regain their composure.

"Carlisle said that Alice had seen Aro's decision to move against you. He asked if we were willing to stand with you. We said yes. Only we don't know why Aro has finally made the decision." Eleazer combed his fingers through his hair and wrapped an arm around Carmen.

"He discovered me through your thoughts when he came to visit you. I'm his daughter." I clutched Gideon's hand tightly within mine, afraid of the truth. "From what we can tell, he most likely began experimenting with half-breeds shortly after the trial with Nessie. I have no idea what number I am but we do know that he sent Demetri to get me. As I was a female, he left me to die considering me worthless. I guess Aro thought differently. Mom also so Demetri die because of his actions so he is one less person to worry about. Mom estimated that it would be about two months before they came. It could be sooner as she has to watch so many different minds."

"You're his daughter?" Eleazer was in awe as I am assuming that my ability now made sense. Aro was very gifted so it would be obvious that his offspring would have talents. "Why does he want to kill your family though?"

"That's that part that I don't really know. I guess it is an excuse to get rid of such a large coven. But he isn't going to win. I will not let that happen." I made sure that they knew I was serious. They were fully aware of my vow to never use my ability unless I had to and this called for it.

Over the next few days the house filled with the vampires that had come over fifty years ago. Many were unhappy that it had finally come to this but were willing to stand with us. Once the heard the truth they were angered even more. How dare Aro be using the knowledge he gained about Renesmee to have children. What did his wife think of this! While our coven had grown to include ten full vampires, one half and a shape shifter, we had gained family in the other vampires. Jacob and Nessie left shortly after the Denali's arrived. Jake was hoping to find some shape shifters here or get into contact with his tribe back home. We had recently moved, about a state away so it would be easy enough for them to come to our aid if they could.

One even Eleazer finally figured out why Aro was doing this. He gathered everyone in the living room to do his best to explain.

"Sulipica, Aro's wife was devastated when she learned that she would not be able to have children in this life. While she easily accepted it because she loved Aro, I do not believe she was ever happy about it. She saw Renesmee and was most likely drawn to her. If she asked Aro to bring her children, he would not be able to say no. I believe that this isn't Aro but rather Suplicia who wants these children. She can't have them so she is most likely picking the women then asking Aro to woo and mate with them. Once the woman comes to term, someone is sent to retrieve the baby to be raised by Sulpicia. If I am correct, it won't stop once Aro is dead. We will have to go to Volterra and kill the wives."


	22. Chapter 22

***All characters except Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of Stephanie Meyer. Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of me.***

Everyone began talking at once. Some were yelling it outrage while others were all for whipping out the entire Volturi. I was frozen, stunned that this was all happening because one woman couldn't handle not having children. I had been so angry at Aro for so many years, yet he was just being used by his wife. Though he did have a choice. He would pay though his death would be swift, after he killed his wife with his own two hands.

"Please everyone! This is just Eleazer's thoughts after the time he spent there. It may not be true. What we do know is that they are moving against us because Alice and Jasper found and raised Elle. We also know that mistakes are being made, on their part. They have ruled through fear and it is time their rule came to an end. Many of you don't know but Elle is gifted. She puts us at a strict advantage. I'll let her explain." Grandpa swept his arm toward me, giving me the floor. Dad grabbed one of my hands while Gideon grabbed the other. I clutched them as if they were the oxygn that kept me alive.

"I have the ability of mind control. I made a promise when I was three, that I would never use it on anyone who I loved or cared about. That promise holds to all of you here today. But I plan on using it to immolize all those who come to kill us. While it does make it unfair, they need to die or we will all be killed." I took a deep breath "I can see each of your gifts, it's a unique color within your mind. I plan to use my ability to hide all the abilities of the Volturi, thus making them just like any other vampire. I can do it from miles away so there is no issue with distance. What we need to decide is if we want to wait for them to come here or if we are going to attack Volterra."

"I say we attack them, why give them the chance to gain the upper hand?" Zafrina stepped forward and nodded her consent to Garett's vote.

"How does everyone else feel?" Grandpa began to take a tally but I noticed that Mom was frozen, likely receiving a vision. I walked over to her and sat down, holding her hand. The entire room quieted down as Grandpa realized what was going on.

"Aro has decided to come in three days. He is trying to catch us off guard so he had Sulpicia make the decision". Everyone froze. Aro was being led by his wife. She was allowing her wants to rule the Volturi and was using them to fulfill her wishes.

Grandpa dismissed everyone to enjoy the company of those they loved. I gave Gideon a kiss and went to find my parents. I found Mom and Dad lying on the lawn admiring the stars. I slipped in between them like I used to as a small child.

"Dad, there's something I want to tell you before this all occurs. Do you know what Gideon does?" I laid my head on his chest and breathed in his scent, hoping this would not be the last time I had with him.

"Yes, he is what was called a bounty hunter during my time. I remember coming across many during my short time with the army. Why little one?" He hand one arm holding me against him and the other was around Momma.

"He killed Maria, Dad. She's gone." I felt every muscle in his body freeze as he processed this knowledge.

"When?" He could barely choke out that simple word.

"When Nessie was on trial. That's why he never came." I snuggled into him, wishing I was small enough to fit in his arms again. I wished with all I had, that I could fall asleep on my Daddy one last time.

"It's over Jasper, its over." Momma sat up and slipped to the other side. She laid her head on the other side of his chest and held one of my hands. It was so complete. We just lay there, holding each other and being together.

The sun rose over us before any of us dared to move. I was the first, wanting to spend time with Gideon as well. I knew that he would be waiting for me in the cabin. Not only did we need alone time, Mom and Dad did to. Not that that was something I ever wanted to think about. I ran to the cabin, and had to go past Aunt Bella's and Uncle Edward's cabin. I heard several crashes and just ran faster. I threw open the door and landed in Gideon's arms. He smiled and kissed me.

"Gideon, I just want you to know that whatever happens to us, I love you. These last few weeks have been amazing and I wouldn't change them for the world." Then I kissed him.

We lay in each other's arms, in the bed relaxing. Gideon was telling me stories of his past. Good ones and about all the wonders he had seen. He painted such beautiful pictures of the world that I felt as if I had seen them myself. While he had been alive for more than four hundred years, he seemed like a five year old on Christmas when he spoke about the world. Gideon loved art and had enjoyed watching it evolve and change over the years. He enjoyed describing the paintings in detail, especially after seeing my paintings. When the morning of the third day dawned, we both prepared for what was coming.

I pulled on jeans and a black sweater and Gideon wore the same thing. We wanted to remain invisible to the human world, so we threw several different shirts in a backpack and went to the main house. Dad was waiting for me and wrapped me in a hug. Everyone was nervous for the fight that was coming. Jacob had been able to gather eighteen shape shifters to come to our aid. We gathered in the same gathering where this same gathering had occurred when Nessie was small.

Grandpa turned to face us all, his expression grim.

"Thank you all for joining me here today to help me stand up for what is truly right. I thank you for your sacrifices and the honor you have given us by standing with us. Gather your courage friends and stand for truth and real justice." Grandpa pulled Grandma close to him and they turned around. We stood in silence waiting for the enemy to appear.


	23. Chapter 23

***All characters except Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of Stephanie Meyer. Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of me.***

Everyone seemed to be holding their breath, although we don't really have to breathe. The wolves were spread out in the forest around the clearing. We were hoping to flank the Volturi when they showed. The animals all around us began to quiet and we could hear them now. Within moments black cloaks filled the other side of the clearing. Aro was flanked by Caius and Marcus. Two women traveled incredibly close to Aro. His wife and her maid probably. I heard a hiss flit through the air as Sulpicia removed her hood. The lady beside her did the same.

I felt a shiver run through my body as I saw her face. My face but with darker skin and bright red eyes looked back at me. It had to be my birth mother, how I had no idea. Aro stepped forward, as if he hoped to make peace.

"Carlisle. We gathered here fifty years ago because it was believed that you committed a crime. It was proved that you had not, rather something that we had no knowledge of occurred. A child had been born to you son and his wife while she was human. A half vampire half human, that could pass much easier in society than we can. Yet your family, DARED to take my daughter and not return her to me. You have most likely turned her against me but this can be rectified. Give my daughter to me here and now and this can all be over." He smiled his eerie smile and waited, rather impatiently for a response.

"Aro, let us be the friends we once were. We did not know that the ABANDONDED child Jasper and Alice found was your daughter. We raised her to be the amazing person that she was meant to be. She has no judgments against you because she doesn't know you. My family would never stop her from going with you, but only if that is her choice." Grandpa stepped forward, hoping to show Aro that he meant no harm.

I was watching all the minds of those with Aro. Jane and her brother were the most threat, so I hid their abilities as soon as I could see their minds. The odd part was that I could not see into Aro or Sulpicia's minds. It was as if they just did not exist. I looked at my birth mother and was blinded. Instead of her mind there was a bright light that wouldn't allow me to see into her mind. Somehow she was also protecting Aro and Sulpicia's minds. I was shaken from my thoughts as Sulpicia stepped forward.

"Aro is too kind hearted to say this to his long-time friend. Hand her over or die." She waved her hand and the guard moved forward. They stopped five feet ahead of where they began and crouched, ready to attack at the given command. I took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"I honestly have no want to go with you. All of you are strangers to me. This is my family. Sulpicia? You have it wrong darling. Aro will rip your head from your shoulders if you don't stop threatening my family." I watched as shock crossed her face. I had dared to threaten the Volturi yet I was standing there alive and well.

"Kill them!" Sulpicia screamed as she turned and walked back to her husband's side.

They made it three steps before I changed their minds.

 _Freeze._

Within seconds everyone was standing stiller than statues. Aro looked horrified and confused while the rest of the Volturi was whispering about the cause. I just smirked.

LPOV

I had been waiting for this day since Aro came home and announced that my baby girl had not died that day in the forest. He told us that she had been taken and raised by a family that hated the people who had taken me in and looked after me. Aro had saved my life and given me a family I had always dreamed of. While it hadn't been said out loud, I had become his second wife with Sulpicia's blessing. I had gained a husband and best friend plus I had become royalty.

When Aro came to me and told me that my child was alive, I felt as if I was alive all over again. I was going to bring my daughter home and make her the princess she was. Yet there was a hesitancy in my heart. What if she was happy where she was at? Could I really tear her away from a family that had spent over seven years raising her? Aro said it was within my right as a ruler's wife, but I wasn't sure I could take her from the mother that had raised her.

We began the journey to the US when Sulpicia decided. I had been told that Aro's thoughts were being watched so she had to make the final decision. We dressed in our best clothing and robes and went. We traveled by the ocean and empty land so that humans would not see us. It took two days to get there as some of the journey had to be done at night.

When we arrived in the clearing, I saw a group of people and wolves. Very large wolves. I instantly threw my mental shield to cover Aro and Sulpicia as I was suddenly afraid for them. I glanced at the group of people and saw a young man with blond hair that seemed to be the leader. While he wasn't standing ahead like we were, he had an air about him. The coven seemed to respect this man. I glanced around and my eyes fell on a slender girl with tan skin and long black hair. She looked just like me, my daughter. Yet there was something different about her. The other children that Aro had were not as pale as we were. They had flushes of blood under their cheeks. My daughter did not. Had something gone wrong with her? Was she okay? I froze as Aro stepped forward to address the opposing vampires.

"Carlisle. We gathered here fifty years ago because it was believed that you committed a crime. It was proved that you had not, rather something that we had no knowledge of occurred. A child had been born to you son and his wife while she was human. A half vampire half human, that could pass much easier in society than we can. Yet your family, DARED to take my daughter and not return her to me. You have most likely turned her against me but this can be rectified. Give my daughter to me here and now and this can all be over." He smiled at them and the blond man stepped forward.

"Aro, let us be the friends we once were. We did not know that the ABANDONDED child Jasper and Alice found was your daughter. We raised her to be the amazing person that she was meant to be. She has no judgments against you because she doesn't know you. My family would never stop her from going with you, but only if that is her choice."

They had been friends! What had gone wrong that had led to Aro wanting to destroy this coven? Anger began to fill me as I began to fear that my daughter was lost to me forever. Sulpicia placed her hand on my shoulder than stepped forward to address the crowd.

"Aro is too kind hearted to say this to his long-time friend. Hand her over or die." She waved her hand and the guard stepped forward, then crouched preparing to attack and kill them all. I glanced at my daughter trying to gage her reaction to all of this.

"I honestly have no want to go with you. All of you are strangers to me. This is my family. Sulpicia? You have it wrong darling. Aro will rip your head from your shoulders if you don't stop threatening my family." How dare she threaten my lover and his wife! I began to see red as my anger began to take a hold of me. I knew that this would anger Sulpicia beyond a doubt and that this was the end of my daughters so called family.

"Kill them!" Sulpicia screamed as she turned and walked back to our sides. She reached down and clutched my hand as if reassuring me that everything was going to be okay.

They made it three steps before they froze and became unmoving, like marble statues. I looked over at the opposing side and watched a smirk cross my daughters face.

EPOV

I watched as the leaders began to try to figure out what was going on. I glanced around to find the person with the most strength, Felix. I quickly commanded the two closest to him to kill him. They shook their heads and crouched, snarling. They sprung on Felix without a seconds delay. I heard a scream from the other side as they ripped his head and arms off. I didn't move, trying to find another weak point in their defenses.

Suddenly a wall of ice shot up between us, points facing the Volturi. A smile crept across my face. Aunt Jenn was here.


	24. Outtake: Elle's accident

***All characters except Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of Stephanie Meyer. Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of me.***

JPOV

I sighed as Elle ran ahead of me with more energy than I could imagine. Her first birthday was a few days away and I wished with all my might that I could stop it. I could still see her the day that we had found her in the woods.

 _Alice was giggling and racing me through the thick woods. A smile was tugging at my lips but I was so focused on winning the race that I wouldn't let it occur. I heard her shriek as I shot past and took the lead. I loved the feeling of the wind against my skin. I slowed down as the tree's thinned and spun on my heel, arms waiting to catch the love of my life. As she slowed, she threw herself into my arms and kissed me. I still wondered how I had been blessed with such a wonderful woman. She smiled at me and we began kissing. The wind fluttered through the tree's and we both froze. On the air was a scent that was familiar yet not._

" _Jasper, that smells like Nessie." Her eyes widened and she took off toward the clearing. I quickly followed her. As soon as we stepped out of the treeline I saw the trail in the ground. Something had been thrown at great force into the ground. Alice let out a gasp and ran towards the hole._

 _I followed her but at a slower pace. When I saw that she was cradling a baby in her arms, my heart melted. The child was looking at Alice but seemed slightly out of it. The breeze blew again and the baby began to cry. I slipped my shirt off and handed it to Alice for the child. I looked into her eyes and knew that I had just become a father._

The last year had flown by with many ups and downs. She was a very strong headed young lady who wanted to do only what was on her mind. I had taken to being her father with ease and loved every moment of it. I had enjoyed teaching her how to do everything from dress herself to hunting. While Alice loved being a mother, it had turned out that I was the stay at home parent. Alice had gone to college and gotten a business degree. She had opened her own fashion boutique and was doing quite well for herself. I opted to stay home with Elle and I have no regrets.

A scream broke through my thoughts and glancing around I realized that Elle had gotten away from me. Panic began to creep through me and I took off towards the sound. Within seconds I spotted her. She was sitting on the ground biting her lower lip and holding her left leg. I ran to her side and inspected the damage. She had broken her femur and it was protruding from her skin.

"I'm sorry Daddy!" Her voice wobbled as tears ran down her face. I brushed them away and kissed her forhead.

"It's okay little one! Let's get you home so Grandpa can fix this." I grabbed my cell and dialed Carlisle.

"Hello?" I heard concern etched in his voice as he answered.

"Carlisle, Elle had an accident. Im not sure how but she broke her femur. I need you to come home."

"Sure. Be there was soon as I can." I hung up the phone and turned back to my daughter. I scooped her into my arms, held her leg against me as tightly as I could without hurting her and ran.

Within two minutes we were home. Edward met us at the door and led us to Carlisle's office. I settled Elle on the table and wiped away the remaining tears.

"Now, what happened?" I felt fear quickly grip her. I sent out peace and trust so that she wouldn't be afraid to tell me. She took a deep, shaky breath and then looked into my eyes.

"I wanted to get to the top of the tree to see the view. You were busy, thinking so I thought I could it alone. I got almost to the top and an eagle scared me. I fell and wasn't able to catch myself. I won't try to climb trees again until I'm bigger. I'm sorry." I felt the sincerity to her apology and smiled.

"It's okay little one! Accidents are bound to happen now and again. All that matters is that you weren't killed." I took her small hand between mine and began to rub circles.

Carlisle arrived shortly after and quickly set her leg. She held my hand and only squeezed a little, not making a sound. Such a brave little girl. Shortly after her skin began to close, her eyes began to droop. I could sense exhaustion pulling at her and I carried her to bed. I left her to change and then tucked her into bed. I grabbed the third book in the Narnia series and settled in next to her.

"This is the story of an adventure that happened in Narnia and Calormen and the lands between, in the Golden Age when Peter was High King and his brother and his two sisters were King and Queens under him…."


	25. Chapter 25

***All characters except Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of Stephanie Meyer. Esmerelda and Gideon are the intellectual property of me.***

Aunt Rose had a huge smile on her face as Aunt Jenn walked up beside her. She must have called her while they were out gathering our friends. I noticed that Tanya was oddly excited to see Aunt Jenn. I turned my attention back to the Volturi. They all looked shocked to see the ice. I was pretty sure that they had no idea that she even existed. After Aunt Rose had rescued her, she had stayed with the family for a short period of time and then had left. The family never spoke about that time period and I decided to not ask. I smiled as she walked up next to me. She grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze. Her eyes were ice blue which was odd but connected to her ability.

I turned my attention back to the Volturi and watched as some of the lesser guard began to back up.

"Aro this is our last chance to leave me and my family alone. I do not ever want to live with you or be your daughter. Understand?" I hissed through my teeth as he turned towards Sulpicia. They were whispering to each other but I was unable to hear anything. I reached out to Gideon and took his hand in mine, giving it a squeeze. I needed all the encouragement that I could get.

Aro smirked and waved his arm forward sending the rest of the guard to attack us. I glanced at Gideon and turned to face them. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the minds that I had already been in.

 _They are your enemies. Kill the black cloaks._

I opened my eyes to see the group of elite guard turn and face their masters. Snarls and hisses where cutting through the air as bodies smashed against each other. I glanced around me and sent a single message, no control to my side.

 _Now._

I rushed forward, aiming to take out or remove my biological mother from Aro. Gideon stayed at my side as I dodged and hit the vampires that attacked me. I kept my eyes on my target, not willing to let her slip away. As I neared I watched her eyes fly open, knowing that I was coming for her. She took several steps back and I slowed.

I used all my will power to send her a message, trying my best to break through her shield or projection.

 _Move or die._

Her eyes widened even more and she spun on her heal and ran. Sulpicia called after her but she was grabbed by Emmet and Dad. I nodded and turned to Aro. I stopped moving and narrowed my eyes at him.

 _You hate her for what she has done to you. You don't love her, you haven't for years. She has been the poison that has been slowly killing you. Hate has filled your heart and all you want is to see her dead. Two of your men are holding her. Kill her._

He snarled and slowly walked towards her. His eyes gleamed with hatred as he looked at her. She began clawing at the hands that were holding her still. Screams began to break through the air. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Kate and Tanya behead and set fire to Caius. I focused back on Aro. He had Sulpicia's head in his hands. She was whimpering and begging him to stop. He gave a savage yell and ripped her head from her body. Emmet lit her corpse on fire and Aro realized that he was holding his wife's head in his hands. He slumped to the ground, sobbing as he watched his loved one burn.

"I promised you Aro." I watched as he realized that he had killed his beloved. Emmet and Dad grabbed Aro and held him still. I walked up and gripped his head in my hands.

"Stop! I will leave you and your family alone Esmerelda. I promise." He looked at me as if trying to prove something but his blood red eyes made my stomach turn.

"This is what happens when someone threatens my family. Farewell." With a grunt I ripped his head from his body and threw it into the fire. I watched as he began to burn for the fear that remained in my bosom had to be satisfied. I turned around and saw many other bonfires as the Volturi was completely destroyed. The rest of my side had taken care of the rest of the Volturi while I had taken down the leader. Lilly was standing with Grandpa, and they were speaking quietly. Whispering to each other. I gripped Gideon's hand and cautiously approached them.

"Lilly, this is Elle." Grandpa nodded in my direction and she turned to face me.

"Hello Elle." She smiled and I couldn't help but recoil slightly in disgust.

"Why is she still alive." I turned to Grandpa and couldn't help the hiss that escaped me. I was furious that he had allowed her to live. She had been Aro's protector! I crouched, growling at Lilly.

"Esmerelda Cullen. Stop." Grandpa stepped between us and shouted at me for the first time in my life. I couldn't keep the shock off my face as I stood up. "I am the head of this family. I have never enjoyed killing, even if it did mean that my family would live. There have been enough deaths today and that is final. Now listen to what she has to say."

I went to turn around and felt Gideon wrap his arm around me. I kept myself facing away from her, not wanting to see her.

"Elle, I guess I want you to know the truth. I didn't leave you there alone. I didn't even know that you had survived. I met Aro during a seminar at my University. He was the guest speaker and he was amazing. He was so kind to me and so wonderful. He seemed smart and I was drawn to him. He began to court me and I fell in love with him. Who wouldn't? I had been saving myself for the right man, as my Mom had always told me to do. I thought he was the one. Elle, when I found out that I was pregnant with you I was overjoyed. I had always wanted to be a Mom, but had thought it was going to be impossible. For two months you grew inside me, quickly. At first I was afraid that I wouldn't live through the pregnancy, but Aro called me and told me to drink the blood to survive. So I did. For you. When I awoke in Volterra and had been told that you had died, I wanted to die. Yes the thirst was awful but all I wanted was to end everything. My precious baby was gone and I had never had a chance to lay eyes on you. Carlisle has told me that Jasper and Alice raised you and I couldn't be happier. You turned into such an amazing and strong young lady. I am proud of you. I also know that right now my presence is painful. Carlisle had given me a cellphone and has the number should you ever want to contact me. I love you little moon." I heard a woosh and knew she was gone.

I allowed myself to slowly turn around, almost afraid to see her again. Instead I saw Dad and Mom, holding each other and silently watching me. I ran to them and threw my arms around them. They held me and just allowed me to know I was theirs.

"I don't need to know her. You are my parents and are all I have ever wanted."


	26. Chapter 26

I stood watching the sun slowly rise over the ocean. The colors that it arranged across the sky still astounded me. A smile spread across my face as the animals awoke and the world began a brand new day. It had been several weeks since the Volturi had been killed. Meetings were still being held at my Grandparents home as everyone tried to figure out what to do. I stayed away because I did not care. My family was finally free. Yet something was bothering me.

It had been several days since I had fed yet there was no desire to feed again. I felt that I was at peace with everything that had happened whether or not it had turned out the way everyone had wanted. Though there was one small thing that I had been keeping from my family.

The Rabies had almost killed me, that much I was one hundred percent sure of. Yet the venom had not fully changed me. While I no longer required sleep or had a heartbeat, I craved human food. I had not gained any venom and my power had basically stayed the same. I guess that in order to fully save me, the venom had to take out the Rabies virus first and was unable to fully transform me. Gideon was the only one that knew and he was always afraid that something was going to happen to me. I had become stronger but compared to him I guess I am still pretty dainty.

I took a deep breath and turned to head home. As the trees came into view, everything began to spin. My stomach lurched and I threw up all the blood that I had ingested several days before. I quickly sank to my knees, clutching the damp grass between my fingers. I was gasping for air, hoping to clear my head. Dots began to appear in my vision and I lay down as darkness closed in around me.

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JPOV

These talks were beginning to get on my nerves. No one could figure out if someone should be in power or if they should all just lived as they pleased. The emotions were also a drain as everyone tended to get very worked up over these matters. I sighed and stood up. Elle had left early this morning and I knew she had gone to the clearing to watch the sun rise. I was hoping to catch her before she returned to the cottage.

As I snuck out of the crowded living room, I heard a scream escape my love's mouth. I was back at her side in an instant, wishing with all my might that she had just been startled. My heart knew otherwise.

"Jasper I can't see her! Why can't I see her!" Alice was on the verge of hysterics. I looked at Esme and quickly left Alice in her very capable hands. I ran from the house at full speed, praying that nothing had happened to our daughter. As the tree's thinned, I heard her retching. She seemed to be unable to catch her breath even though she no longer needed to breath. I heard a thump and ran faster. As the clearing came into view, I saw her body lying in the grass. I ran to her side. Rolling her onto her back, I whipped away the blood that remained on her skin. I felt a flutter under my fingers and gasped as I felt her heart begin to beat. Her chest was rising and falling at a steady rate. I scoped her into my arms and ran for the house.

Carlisle greeted me at the door and took her from me. I could hear Alice's whimpers but I would not leave my daughters side. Carlisle placed her on his and Esme's bed. He left the room for a second and returned with his bag. He gasped as he heard her heart. It had been steadily returning to its former pace. He looked at me with sheer confusion.

"I don't know Carlisle." Pain and fear was consuming me as I watched my daughter return to her weak form. I sat on the bed next to her and held her hand.

I heard the rest of the family slip into the room. Alice climbed onto the bed beside Elle and held her. I knew that everyone was fearing the worst. Somehow the rabies must have come back. The venom had been unable to get rid of it. Venom was no longer a cure all.

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EPOV

I awoke to a pressure in the bed beside me. I turned over expecting it to be Gideon and Mom was lying there.

"Morning sweetheart." She smiled at me as she slide a hair out of my face.

"Morning Mom. Not to be rude, but why are you in bed with me?" A smile broke across my face as she laughed.

"Well sweetie. You gave us a very big scare. I haven't wanted to leave your side. Your father has had to drag himself and Gideon away to hunt. They were hoping to be here when you awoke but I told them that they had to feed. So it's just you and I." She smiled as she wrapped her small arms around me as if I was still a small child.

"What happened Momma?" I snuggled into her side, enjoying being alone with her.

"Well, as far as Carlisle can tell, the venom stayed in your system only long enough to completely destroy the Rabies. It gave you the strength to destroy it. It was fading from you and now you have returned to the way you were before." She kissed my forehead and began to run her hands through my hair. I couldn't help but be reminded of all the nights that she came and lay with me when I was small.

Mother had always been the working parent, even though there really had been no need. Dad stayed home and raised me but there was one job that mother had always done. When a nightmare would happen or I was unable to sleep, she would climb into bed beside me, wrap her arms around me and play with my hair. She would stay with me until she had to go to work the next morning. Mother's arms were a safety net that I loved and always needed. Still need.

I sighed and rolled over, allowing Mom to keep snuggling me. I felt drained, as if I had not slept for an eternity when I needed to. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

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The next time I awoke, I felt Dad's arm holding me. A smile spread across my face and I rolled onto my back.

"Hey little one." He kissed the top of my forehead, gave me a big hug then slide off the bed. "I'll let you get cleaned up. Be waiting downstairs." He silently left the room, closing the door behind him.

I stretched, slowly working all the knots out of my back and clamored out of bed. Mom had put out fresh clothing and when I entered the bathroom, she had drawn a lavender bath for me. I hit play on the iPod that was on the counter and classical music filled the air. There were candles lit around the room, creating a calming environment. I grabbed the kobo from the bedroom and climbed in.

The warm water penetrated deep into my muscles, forcing out the cold that had been placed there by the venom. The smell of lavender was soft but wonderful. I turned on the kobo and began to read where I had left off the day before my wedding.

As the water began to get cold, I decided it was probably time to get out. I quickly washed my hair and then climbed out of the comfort of the bath. I slide into the jeans and t-shirt. I cleaned up the candles and the tub. With a content sigh, I turned out the light and headed downstairs.

I skipped down that stairs only to be greeted by an anxious looking Gideon. With a squeal, I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him. He threw his head back and let out a full body laugh, spinning me around.

"It's wonderful to see you up and well." He kissed me again before setting me down. I turned to the kitchen only to spy everyone standing in the living room. I grabbed his hand and dragged him in.

"Elle we have a present for you and Gideon." Grandma handed me an unmarked envelope. I turned it over and gave her a curious look. She nodded and I tore it open. Inside were two tickets that would take us to Isle Esme. I squealed and threw my arms around her. Gideon and I were going to get out honeymoon after all.

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Three weeks later, we were returning to the family in Canada. We had decided to sell the return tickets and spend another week walking home. Gideon had not liked the idea, but I had really wanted more us time so he had reluctantly agreed. We were up in the North of Canada, along the edge. We had to be cautious to make sure that no one would find us. We had stopped so that I could have something to drink as I became tired. I sighed and sat back against the rock, happy.

"Elle?" Gideon watched as a flicker of pain crossed my face.

"Nothing love. I guess I just don't want this to end." I smiled at him and went to stand up.

A breeze blew by and a faint mewling sound could be heard. I glanced at Gideon and decided to follow the sound in case a baby seal had gotten stuck somewhere. While I did have to eat animals, I hated it when babies were in danger. Aunt Rose said that sometimes my heart is too big.

Gideon followed me quickly, wanting to make sure that I didn't piss off a mother animal. I slowly crept through the snow, keeping low. As I walked up to a tree, I saw a basket at the base. I glanced over my shoulder at Gideon, waiting for him to give me the nod of approval. When he did, I slowly crept forward. I gasp escaped as I glanced into the basket. Inside was a small baby whose skin was dark like Jacob's. I glanced around to see if the mother was anywhere. Then I smelled it. Blood.

I picked the child up along with the note that I found inside the basket. I quickly tucked her into my coat, keeping her snug against my skin. Gideon had begun to follow the scent. I quickly followed him. As I climbed over the small hill, I became frozen in my tracks. There was a bloodbath before us. Someone had come through this small native community and killed everyone.

"Gideon?" I could barely whisper his name. My body would not move, it was frozen in shock.

He turned to us and wrapped his arms around us.

"Let's take our baby home."


	27. Epilogue

Four Years Later

I sighed as I sat in the lawn chair watching Gideon play with Kenny. She was giggling and laughing as Gideon chased her around the yard. She was just slightly darker than I am and had long black hair. Gideon had been aloof at first, most likely afraid that he was going to break her. Yet she had stolen his heart.

Dad was loving being a Grandpa and I think he adored Kenny more than me. He had fallen in love with her the moment we walked through the door. She was another little girl that he could parent and help raise. I had named her Kendra but at the age of three she informed me that she wanted to be called Kenny. She was half vampire like I was and the family had been unable to find any clues as to her history. All we knew was that her mother had hid her and someone had killed the entire tribe. No one had been drained of blood, they had just all been murdered.

I was brought out of my thoughts by a hard kick just under my belly button.

"Now now. Calm down." I smiled as I ran my hand over my swollen stomach. We had thought that a child was out of the question for us yet I had gotten pregnant three weeks ago. While the child was almost due, he or she was growing at almost the same pace as Nessie had. She was three quarters vampire and one quarter human yet he seemed more human. My body had no problem adjusting to the child and the pregnancy was going smoothly. We had moved closer to Grandpa so that he would deliver the baby when she decided that it was time.

There was still so much unknown to us yet our lives were so complete. We had been gifted with Kenny and now another child was on the way. He was strong and understood most of what I said.

"So, are you going to ready soon?" I smiled at I received two gentle kicks in response. I heard a squeal and looked up just in time to see Kenny spring towards me.

I shot into a standing position and caught her. I spun around and she held her arms out screaming in joy. I brought her in close and kissed her face all over. She giggled and fought. I gained a hug and then set her on her feet.

"Lunch time?" I smiled as she reached up and set her hand against my tummy. The baby gave a small kick in response. Somehow she knew her sister. I took one of Kenny's hands while Gideon took the other and we walked towards the house, as a complete and unique family.


End file.
